A glacier explosion on February 7 had damaged two power projects; more than 200 people disappeared.
Uttarakhand / New Delhi:
136 people missing after a glacier erupted in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district earlier this month set off an avalanche and flash floods will be declared dead, authorities said. So far, more than 60 bodies have been recovered after the region was hit by one of the worst tragedies in recent years.
About two weeks ago, the glacier breach in the upper Himalayas triggered an avalanche and massive flooding along the Alaknanda and Dhauliganga rivers, forcing thousands of people to evacuate from the surrounding areas. A hydroelectric plant and five bridges were razed, in addition to severe damage to another power project.
The 13.2 mw hydel Rishi Ganga project was completely demolished in the avalanche, while the hydel Tapovan-Vishnugad project sustained significant damage.
Since the disaster struck the region on February 7, a multi-agency search and rescue operation, involving teams from state and national disaster response forces, the Army, Navy and Air Force, the ITBP, the local police and paramilitary troops had been working tirelessly.
Now, families have been called in to analyze DNA samples from 136 people who are still missing.
Uttarakhand is prone to flash floods and landslides and the disaster prompted calls from environmental groups for a review of energy projects in ecologically sensitive mountains.
Faced with criticism from experts who say development projects in the region may have exacerbated the disaster, the central government earlier this month ruled out any connection between an ongoing highway expansion project near the Char Dam and the glacier outbreak.
In 2013, a major flash flood and landslides struck Kedarnath in Uttarakhand after a multi-day storm. More than 5,700 people died in one of the country’s worst natural disasters since the 2004 tsunami. The floods also damaged parts of the famous Kedarnath Temple, located 3,581 meters above sea level.
The melting of Himalayan glaciers has doubled since the early 21st century due to rising temperatures, according to a study published in 2019. Scientists analyzed 40 years of satellite observations in India, China, Nepal and Bhutan, indicating that climate change is eating away the glaciers of the Himalayas. This potentially threatens the water supply for hundreds of millions of people in these countries, including India.
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