NEW DELHI, July 15, 2013: Abnormally high amount of rain, rising temperature in May and June that made glaciers melt and "haphazard human intervention" through rampant construction in areas which have been geo-dynamically active, especially since the 1999 earthquake, made a conducive environment for the recent catastrophe in Uttarakhand, a government report has confirmed.

The report prepared by the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), under the aegis of the Union Home Ministry, has recommended a detailed study to identify the lessons from the disaster, a policy formed to discourage improper constructions, and drawing up of guidelines for pilgrimage places.

"The hazard turned into a major disaster when people along with their properties and infrastructure occupied such areas without adequate information, knowledge, awareness and preparedness against the potential disaster.

"A huge crowd was present in the valley as tourists, pilgrims and trekkers besides the local population, businessmen, tour/guest house operators. When the water in the river started growing, these people could not understand what's likely to happen next. By the time they realized the event, they were already trapped in it and could not find ways to escape," the NIDM report pointed out.

NIDM's associate professor Surya Prakash travelled for over a 1,000 kilometers in these areas to prepare this report. Abnormally high rain on June 16 and 17-400% more than expected -triggered the disaster, his report says.

"Heavy (64.5mm - 124.4mm) to very heavy rains (124.5mm - 244.4mm) on June 16 and 17 in several parts of the state has been attributed to the fusion of westerlies with the monsoonal cloud system," the report says, pointing out that the worst-affected Devprayag area alone received nearly 300 mm of rain during the two days.

Heavy rain was, however, not the only cause for the swelling of the Alaknanda River and its tributary, Mandakini.

"Besides the rain water, a huge quantity of water was probably released from melting of ice and glaciers due to high temperatures during the month of May and June. The water not only filled up the lakes and rivers that overflowed but may have also caused breaching of moraine-dammed lakes in the upper reaches, particularly during the late evening on June 16," the NIDM report mentions.

The breaching of the moraine-dammed lake, Gandhi Sarovar, made Mandikini change its course, an event which exposed the rampant construction in this area. "The Alaknanda and its tributary Mandakini occupied their flood ways and started flowing along the old courses (west side) where human habitation had come up with the passage of time. Most of the hotels, shops and guest houses / lodges were located on this side and got washed by the furious river," the report adds.

The rivers were destructive as they were loaded with sediments, stones and rocks due to increased surface flow and rise of river bed due to disposal of debris into the rivers from the construction activity.

"The area has been denuded to a great extent due to deforestation and tree cutting for road construction, building construction, mining and hydel projects. The sediment-loaded river eroded whatever came in its way," the report says.

The massive earthquake in 1999 had made the area geo-dynamically active. "Geologically, the rocks in this area are found highly deformed, degraded and dissected by structural discontinuities and drainages. Seismo-tectonically, the area is traversed by several lineaments, faults and thrusts...the 1999 earthquake caused loosening of rock masses, ground cracks and landslides," the NIDM report says.

Source: The Economic Times, DT. July 15, 2013.