Scientists Investigate 2021 Chamoli Tragedy

Scientists from India and the UK have collaborated to conduct an intense examination of the 2021 Chamoli disaster in the Uttarakhand state of India. The SUPERSLUG project will monitor and predict long-term environmental impacts caused by debris flows from this avalanche event, triggered by an ice-rock avalanche. This study would go a long way in determining the aftermath of such events and contribute to the probable forecasting of future calamities in high-risk mountain regions, such as the Himalayas. The three-year project is supported by the UK's Natural Environment Research Council. Advanced technologies, which include drone surveillance, satellite imagery, seismic sensors, and automated water-level monitoring, will be used to collect and analyze data related to the region's landscape and river basin. The start date for the project will be in November 2024, with a field visit to the Chamoli district initially. The research project SUPERSLUG is an acronym for "Supervised Learning from Unsteady Ground" with focus on the 150-kilometre stretch of Ganga River basin covering the Rishiganga-Dhauliganga catchment area. This research focuses on the areas that have beheld wide ranges of destruction by the disaster and acquires some insights into how debris flows alter the landscape and impact upon ecology and hydrology of river systems. That data from these drones and satellite imagery will track changes made in terrain, especially in sediment and water movement. The results culled from this will prove to be models that predict long-term impacts of similar debris flows and potentially help in further disaster mitigation. This is very important because climate change effects such as landslide activity, more intense monsoons, and glacier melt are likely to increase the intensity of such events and their frequency in the Himalayas. Important Partners for the Project SUPERSLUG brings together expertise from several institutions based in India, the UK, and Canada. The University of Plymouth, UK will lead this project and support experts from the universities of Exeter, Hull, Leeds, Newcastle, and Staffordshire and the University of Calgary, Canada. Indian institutions include the Indian Institute of Technology IIT Roorkee and the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology WIHG in Dehradun. Advanced Technologies for Research These include using advanced technology to collect real-time data on landslides, debris flow, and flood phenomena; using drones to capture resolution images of the disaster-hit area; satellite data for monitoring larger changes in the landscape; seismic sensors to track the movements of the earth that could be symptomatic of chances for future landslides or debris flows; and also automated water-level monitors that will provide continuous data on river dynamics. Using such data, the research team will develop and validate numerical models to determine where, when, and what impact future extreme events will have. In that determination by policy makers, local authorities will be in a better position to put in early warning systems to make pre-emptive protection of those vulnerable communities. The Chamoli Disaster: A Tragic Event At the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, a catastrophic ice-rock avalanche resulted in flash floods that killed more than 200 people on 7th February, 2021 and caused extensive destruction. The avalanche hit the rivers of Rishiganga and Dhauliganga, sweeping away villages, bridges, and infrastructure there. Two hydroelectric power plants, including the 13.2 MW Rishiganga Power Plant and the 520 MW Tapovan-Vishnugadh Hydel Power Project, were severely damaged. The disaster finally brought scientists much attention worldwide while seeking research into the causes and impacts of such disasters. Satellite images now reveal that the region had previously been seismically active, showing a gap where improved monitoring of such areas is needed. SUPERSLUG is intended to fill in the gaps in our understanding of how such events occur and models that might predict risk for future events. Early Warning Systems: The time has come when integrated early warning systems need to be developed to reduce the impact of any disaster if it occurs in the near future," said experts even after Chamoli disaster. A year of disaster, the scientists at WIHG, Dehradun, found that this region was already stressed due to seismic activity before the avalanche happened. This implies that constant monitoring with early intervention in such high-risk areas as the Himalayas, where natural disasters seem to cause havoc in terms of killing people in large numbers and destroying infrastructure, is pivotal. The SUPERSLUG project will help develop tools that would predict, and could be used as a precursor to, an early warning system of when and where debris flows or other extreme events are likely to occur. Perhaps the authorities and even communities can be given critical time to evacuate and take proper precautions to avoid loss of lives and minimize damage from the event. Future implications of research Consequently, the findings of SUPERSLUG will be relevant not only to areas of disasters, such as the Himalayas, but for all parts of the world threatened by such eventualities. Improvement of the scientific understanding of impacts of natural hazards on river basins and landscapes will help the research community design better risk mitigation strategies over time. It could further be a model for future international collaborations among countries in addressing common environmental challenges, in particular those worsened by climate change. Since the Himalayas is one of the most geologically active and hazardous regions around the world, the research developed herein serves as an important milestone that can help ensure safety of lives and livelihoods within such vulnerable territories. Source: Eurasia Review