Recently the northeastern states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are under the radar of nature’s fury as the incidents of cloudburst, landslides and floods are dominating the headlines. Both these states have been hit with multiple cloudbursts with the onset of monsoon leading to tragic loss of lives, damage to the infrastructure and blocked highways.
Himachal Pradesh has reported at least 17 confirmed deaths, while 9 workers have been missing in Uttarakhand amidst the ongoing rescue efforts.
The rescue operations are ongoing with the collaborative efforts from state disaster response teams, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and local authorities. Choppers are being used to airlift the stranded individuals, while massive search operations are launched to find the missing ones.
Understanding Cloudbursts And Its History!
A cloudburst refers to a localized but very intense rainfall activity. Comes under the category of hydrometeorological disaster, cloudbursts may persist for a short duration of time but can cause fatal consequences like flash floods, landslides, loss of life and property and displacement of communities.
4 Most Disastrous Cloudburst In Indian History
The suddenness and intensity of cloudburst makes them dangerous to both life and property especially in regions with poor drainage, weak infrastructure and steep slopes. Let’s take a look at some of the major cloudburst India has witnessed.
1.Great Musi Flood Of 1908
On September 26, 1908 around 110 years ago, Hyderabad experienced its one of the worst encounters with the cloudburst on the banks of Musi River. Locally known as Thughyani Sitambar, the incident claimed the lives of 50,000 people and washed away three bridges — the Afzal, Mussallam Jung and Chanderghat, making the Puranapul the only link between the two parts of the city.
Kolsawadi and Ghansi Bazar in Afzal Gunj became the main victims of the flood as it washed away 80,000 houses, making a fourth of the population homeless and killing 15,000 people.
2. Maharashtra Floods Of 2005
July 26 , 2005 was the day the city of Mumbai came to a standstill due to flooding. The flood affected various states of Maharashtra including larger areas of the metropolis Mumbai, claiming the lives of approximately 1,094 innocent people. The major cause of the incident is the eighth heaviest-ever recorded 24-hour rainfall figure of 944 mm which hit the metropolis on 26 July 2005, and continued the day after.
For the first time ever the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and Juhu Aerodrome were shut down for more than 30 hours due to heavy flooding of the runways, extremely poor visibility and submerged Instrument Landing System equipment. Many lost their homes, dozens walked long distances while returning home in the evening and others were stranded on the roads.
3.Leh Cloudburst 2010
On August 6 2010, after a cloudburst and overnight heavy rainfall , parts of Ladakh were hit with flash floods, mudflows and debris flows.
In Leh, the majority of damage was caused by debris flows coming from the rocky sidewalls of the valleys. Sobu, Phyang, Nimu, Nyeh, and Basgo villages were among the most affected districts. Almost 1,500 homes in 71 settlements across the area suffered damages. Over 225 people were reported to be dead while 200 were missing in Leh town.
Multiple buildings including hospitals, bus terminal, radio station transmitter, telephone exchange and mobile-phone towers were shattered by the floods. While, the BSNL communication systems were fully destroyed. August was also the peak season and attracted tourists from both India and internationally leading to an added layer of damage.
4.Kedarnath Cloudburst 2013
On 16 June 2013, a mid-day cloudburst hit the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, causing devastating floods and landslides sweeping away thousands of people, causing extensive damage to infrastructure, making it the worst natural disaster since tsunami 2004. Sadly many of the bodies of the people swept away by the floods were never recovered. The worst affected area was Kedarnath.
The sudden rapid melting of ice and snow on the Kedarnath Mountain is the major reason for destruction in Kedarnath. The Kedarnath temple was flooded with water resulting in many casualties due to drowning and panic-driven stampede. A week after the floods, the bodies were not even removed from the town leading to water contamination and several health diseases. The damages were amplified because the incident happened around the peak of pilgrimage season. Surprisingly no damage was caused to the Kedarnath temple.
Also Read: Char Dham Yatra Suspended Till 24 Hours, 9 Missing In Cloudburst In Uttarakhand
