Glacier breaks in Chamoli, experts blame low snowfall -Ishan Kukreti

-Down to Earth

Use of concrete instead of traditional wood and masonry in the Himalayas is creating a heat-island effect, warming the range, they added

A major disaster struck the Himalayan state of Uttrakhand February 7, 2021. A glacier broke after an avalanche in the Joshimath area of the state’s Chamoli district.

There are reports of missing people and damage to property. The Chamoli police said the Rishiganga Power Project had been damaged due a breach caused by the glacier in Tapovan area.

“The weather was nice and we were doing our daily chores. Suddenly, around 10:30 AM, a huge amount of water started coming in the Rishiganga river. There was a lot of noise. It was just like the Kedarnath tragedy. The power station got taken immediately and the 100-150 workers there are still missing. Now it is filled with mud. The river is also filled with mud.

When the deluge came, all the villagers rushed to higher elevation, but those who had gone to collect wood or taken their goats and cows for pasture, are missing,” Balwant Rana of Reni village along the banks of river Rishiganga said.

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