Himachal Pradesh has witnessed 148 cloudburst incidents, 294 floods, and over 5000 landslides in the past eight years. Experts have termed it a serious warning sign of climate change.
Himachal Disaster Report: Himachal Pradesh has seen a tremendous increase in the number of natural disasters in the last eight years. Since 2018, the state has recorded 148 incidents of cloudbursts. In addition, sudden floods have caused havoc 294 times, and landslides have occurred more than 5000 times. Kullu, Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur, and Mandi districts are considered the most vulnerable in terms of disaster.
Disaster Report Presented
The information was shared by the Special Secretary (Disaster Management) of the state, DC Rana, before the Multi-Sectoral Central Team (MSCT) constituted on the instructions of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. He stated that incidents of flash floods, cloudbursts, and landslides are increasing rapidly due to climate change. Glaciers are shrinking, and temperatures are continuously rising, leading to an increase in the frequency of these disasters. The team will submit its report to the Disaster Management Division of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs within a week.
Important Meeting on Natural Disasters
The MSCT team participated in the meeting chaired by the Additional Chief Secretary Revenue of the state, KK Pant. The team included Colonel KP Singh (Team Leader), Dr. SK Negi from the Central Building Research Institute (Roorkee), Prof. Arun Kumar, a retired geologist from Manipur University, Dr. Susmita Joseph, Research Scientist from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (Pune), and Prof. Dr. Neelima Satyam from IIT Indore. In addition, Dr. Neeraj from the Defence Geo-informatics Research Establishment and Atul from the Geological Survey of India joined the meeting virtually. After the meeting, the team left for Mandi district.
Need for Change in Rehabilitation Norms
Additional Chief Secretary KK Pant said that the geographical conditions of Himachal are different from other states. Therefore, changes in the existing norms for rehabilitation works are necessary. He emphasized the need for scientific study of the causes of disasters in the state by institutions like the Central Water Commission and the Geological Survey of India. He also stressed the need to identify sensitive areas in the state and further strengthen the advance warning system.
Emphasis on Modern Technology and Data Collection
Pant suggested that a plan should be made to install dense sensors for accurate data collection. In addition, the establishment of a flood forecasting unit in the state, increasing hydrological monitoring, and scientific study of glacier lakes are also the need of the hour. The loss of life and property due to disasters can be significantly reduced by these measures.
