Uttarakhand glacier burst | Dhauliganga’s water level at Joshimath breaches information, say Central Water Commission
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At 11 am, the water level recorded at Joshimath was 1,388m. During the 2013 Uttarakhand flash floods, the best flood level at Joshimath was 1,385.54m.
The water level of the Dhauliganga river at Joshimath flowed at a perilously excessive level, breaching all information, Central Water Commission officers stated after part of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district resulting in large floods.
The glacial burst triggered an avalanche and a deluge within the Alaknanda river system that washed away hydroelectric stations and trapped greater than 100 labourers who’re feared lifeless. The depth of the river’s stream in a brief span of time was such that it engulfed no matter got here in its means.
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This was a grim reminder of the Kedarnath deluge of 2013 which led to widespread devastation within the ecologically fragile Himalayan area.
“At 11 am, the water level recorded at Joshimath was 1,388m,” Saumitra Haldar, chairman, Central Water Commission advised PTI. During the 2013 Uttarakhand flash floods, the best flood level (HFL) at Joshimath was 1,385.54m, he added.
However, by 6 p.m. on February 7, the water level of the river had reached the conventional ranges recorded a day earlier than, stated Rajesh Kumar, the superintendent engineer (Upper and Middle Ganga division) of the Central Water Commission. He stated water ranges have began receding.
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At Joshimath, which bore the fury of floods, the water level recorded at 1 p.m. on February 6 was 1,372.58m. At 6 p.m. on February 7, hours after the catastrophe, the water level was 1,375m.
In Nandprayag, at the decrease stretches of the river, the water level at 6 p.m. was 840.40m. A day earlier than, it was 848.30m at 1 p.m. Mr. Kumar stated the state of affairs was related in Rudraprayag, Srinagar, Devprayag, Rishikesh and Devprayag.
The water level at the Srinagar Hydroelectric Project was additionally at the Mean Draw Down Level which helped accommodate extra stream from the higher stretches. This shall be launched slowly, Mr. Halder added.
The sudden flood in the course of the day within the Dhauliganga, Rishiganga and Alaknanda rivers — all intricately linked tributaries of the Ganga — triggered widespread panic and large-scale devastation within the excessive mountain areas.
Two energy initiatives — NTPC’s Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel challenge and the Rishi Ganga Hydel Project — had been extensively broken with scores of labourers trapped in tunnels because the waters got here dashing in.
At least 12 males had been rescued safely from a tunnel within the Tapovan challenge however at least 125 had been nonetheless lacking. As evening fell within the ecologically fragile Himalayas and rescue work within the tough to entry areas grew to become harder, there have been fears they could be lifeless.
Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat stated seven our bodies had been recovered and at least 125 had been lacking.
