Garhwal Post Bureau
Srinagar (Garhwal), 13 Feb: In a moment of great pride for Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal Central University, Professor M.P.S. Bisht, an expert in Himalayan disaster studies, has been nominated as a member of the High-Level Expert Committee on Hazard, Vulnerability and Risk Assessment (HVRA) constituted by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Committee was constituted under Government Order No. 168-JK (GAD) 2026, issued by the General Administration Department, Jammu and Kashmir, on February 6, 2026. This Committee will scientifically assess the risk of multiple disasters, including earthquakes, floods, landslides, glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), and forest fires, in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It will also provide concrete recommendations for hazard mapping, zoning, preparation of HVRA atlas, and integrating short-term, medium-term, and long-term strategies into governance and development plans. Prof Bisht has been conducting extensive research on natural disasters—landslides, earthquakes, avalanches, and floods—in the Uttarakhand Himalayas for the past four decades. Since 1985, he has been continuously studying Himalayan geo-processes and has used analysis of data from Indian space satellites as a key basis for his research. As an expert, he has periodically provided advice to the Uttarakhand Government and the Government of India on sensitive issues such as the Uttarkashi and Chamoli earthquakes, the 2013 Kedarnath disaster, the Reni-Tapovan tragedy, and the Joshimath landslide, and suggested preventive measures.
Recently, Prof Bisht participated in the Advisory Committee of Himalayan States meeting held at the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on February 29–30, 2026. Bisht, representing his university, presented important suggestions on Himalayan risk reduction issues. His nomination to this high-level committee from Jammu and Kashmir is not only a national recognition of his personal expertise, but also a testimony to the academic and research excellence of Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal Central University. The university community expressed delight at this achievement and described it as a confirmation of the institution’s strong role in the field of disaster management and sustainable development in the Himalayan regions.
