Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 11 Aug: The government has decided to undertake a detailed scientific investigation into the sudden surge in water flow and large-scale debris that struck Tamak Nala along the Jyotirmath-Malari motor road in Chamoli district yesterday, with the State Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Department seeking a comprehensive assessment from several leading scientific and technical institutions.
Secretary, Disaster Management and Rehabilitation, Vinod Kumar Suman has written to the directors of the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS), Uttarakhand Space Application Centre (U-SAC), Geological Survey of India (GSI), India Meteorological Department (IMD) and National Institute of Hydrology (NIH), requesting them to undertake a detailed scientific study of the incident and its causes.
The institutions have been urged to study the upper catchment of Tamak Nala and identify the actual source of the sudden increase in water discharge. The study will specifically examine whether the surge was caused by normal rainfall, exceptionally intense localised rainfall, a cloudburst, rapid surface runoff or any other hydrological factor. The agencies have also been asked to identify the source and origin zone of the enormous quantity of debris that entered the nala and assess the possible role of landslides, ground subsidence, slope failure, rockfall or other geomorphological activity in the upper reaches.
Suman said the Jyotirmath-Malari motor road is extremely important not only for local residents and movement in the area but also from the strategic point of view as it provides connectivity to the border region. He said a scientific assessment of the causes of the incident and the potential risks in the future is therefore essential.
He said the findings of the study would help in improving the planning, design and monitoring of roads, bridges and other critical infrastructure in the border areas and in making disaster management strategies more effective. The scientific assessment would also provide a better understanding of the vulnerability of the upper catchment and help authorities take preventive measures before similar events occur in the future.
The Secretary has requested the institutions to conduct studies and tests according to their respective areas of expertise and submit their reports to the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority within 15 days. The reports are also expected to contain expert recommendations on measures required to reduce future risks in the area, strengthen monitoring mechanisms and improve early warning systems.
According to Suman, the scientific investigation will use modern technologies, including satellite imagery, high-resolution remote sensing, drone surveys and GIS-based analysis, to make a comparative assessment of conditions in the area before and after the incident. Such analysis is expected to help identify changes in the terrain, drainage patterns, slope stability and debris movement associated with the event.
The scientific agencies have also been asked to analyse available satellite and radar-based rainfall data, information from local rain-gauge stations and other meteorological records to determine the nature, intensity and duration of rainfall in the upper catchment immediately before and during the incident. This assessment will help establish whether an unusually intense rainfall event contributed to the sudden rise in the water level of the Tamak Nala.
The institutions have further been asked to scientifically examine the area for evidence of landslides, rockfall, debris flow, flash flood or other rapid geo-hydrological processes that may have contributed to the incident. The investigation will also cover possible natural sources of sudden water accumulation or discharge, including glaciers, snow-covered areas and permanent or semi-permanent water bodies in the upper catchment.
