case study of disaster management of kedarnath tragedy 2013

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Kedarnath Flood Story

If we talk about Kedarnath Flood Story, then what comes to mind first are disaster and tragedy. Because Kedarnath town in Uttarakhand was the most affected area during the 2013 flash floods in North India.

The Kedarnath Temple complex, surrounding areas, and Kedarnath town suffered vast damage. But the temple structure did not suffer any “major” damage.

Apart from a few cracks on one side of the four walls which were caused by the flowing debris from the higher mountains.

During the disaster, a huge rock among the flood, mud, and debris worked as a barrier. And it protected the temple from extensive damage.

The surroundings of the Kedarnath Temple for example – buildings, hotels, and market areas were vanished away in the flood and damaged heavily.

Kedarnath Flood Story & Dhari Devi Mandir

“One of the reasons which were given by the priests was Lifting of Dhaari Devi Temple”. Even local people believed in this side of the story.

The priests believe that any god which was established in Garhwal, Uttarakhand is considered to be in the purest of its form. And it should not be displaced.

But the govt destroyed the forests and shifted the place of Sacred Dhaari Devi Temple.

Dhari Devi was supposed to control nature’s anger. This step was opposed by the priests and localities. But the authorities ultimately shifted the place of Dhari Devi Temple and constructed a dam on its site.

Read Stories about Kedarnath

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Kedarnath Flood 2013 – Case Study

In the month of June 2013, the region suffered its worst disaster in its living memory with widespread destruction. Coincidently, the disaster took place during the peak season of tourism and pilgrimage in the Chota Char Dham Yatra. Hence, increasing the number of victims with an unfavorable impact on immediate rescue and relief operations.

The entire region of the state was hit by ‘heavy’ to ‘very heavy’ rainfall. Resulting in flash floods and landslides over a wide area.

Uttarakhand and nearby areas experienced heavy rainfall. According to data, it was about 375 percent more than the benchmark rainfall during a normal monsoon.

Kedarnath Flood Real Photo

Unnecessary overcrowding in the name of tourism and devotion was just adding pressure to Kedarnath.

Kedarnath is surrounded by snowy mountains and two holy rivers called Mandakini and Saraswati.

Story Behind Kedarnath Flood

The disastrous Kedarnath Flood wreaked great havoc in the Kedarnath Valley and the other parts of Uttarakhand.

The flash flood was triggered by heavy rain and a cloudburst on the massive glacial lake. However, the Kedarnath Temple is built on the bank of Mandakini and the mythological Saraswati river was not damaged.

Tremendous cloudbursts were the prime reason for this Kedarnath Flood Tragedy. Due to its proximity to the surroundings of Chorabari Glacier, the area around the Kedarnath Temple suffered unspeakable damage.

Kedarnath Flood Reasons:

• The overflow of the Mandakini River

Cloudburst & Heavy Rain in Kedarnath

• The overflow of Chorabari Lake

Overflow of the Mandakini River

One reason is the Overflow of the Mandakini River. And this flash flood destroyed the area of Kedarnath on the 16th and 17th of June 2013 respectively.

As per the sources, Kedarnath is an area of difficult weather conditions. And so the western disturbance from the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea. It carried moisture in the air while passing the Arabian Sea.

And there was also a cyclonic storm which was originated over the Bay of Bengal. And it went on till the Kedarnath and surprisingly this led to cloud formation.

Because of these two clouds, one from the Caspian Sea and the second from the Bay of Bengal attacked each other which led to massive cloudbursts.

There was also another reason behind the massive cloudburst. Kedarnath temple is built inside a massive gorge. And so on clouds got collected which ultimately became a reason for continue heavy rainfall and lead to a massive landslide.

This landslide occurred due to the overflow of the river Mandakini and Saraswati. Then the river took a disastrous form mixed with mud, bricks, and debris (dead bodies and waste) that was coming from the landslide. And this debris destroyed everything which came in between the way from Rambara to Gaurikund .

Debris created a barrier between the union of Mandakini and Saraswati which eventually diverted the route of Saraswati.

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Kedarnath Flood Full Story

Kedarnath Flood Story is based on the real tragedy of Kedarnath Valley that happened on the date of 16th and 17th of June 2013.

The incident started on the date of 16th of June 2013, at 5:15 pm. When heavy rain flooded the Saraswati River and Dudh Ganga catchment area.

Resulting in excessive flow and heavy soil erosion and landslide. The floodwater along with the gathered debris moved towards Kedarnath town.

It washed off the upper part of the city (Sankaracharya Samadi, Jalnigam guest house, Bharat Seva Sang Ashram, etc). And leading to the biggest-ever disaster witnessed in the region.

Due to heavy downpours, the town of Rambara completely vanished on the evening of 16th June.

Next Morning on 17 June 2013

On the 17th of June 2013, there was no sign of relief for victims who got stuck in the Kedarnath tragedy.

On the 17th of June, another disaster struck at 6:45 am. It was caused by the overflow and collapse of Chorabari Lake .

But at around 7:15 in the morning, the Kedarnath temple got hit by the second round of flood which came as a flash flood.

And it released a large volume of water which caused another flood in Kedarnath town. It led to heavy devastation downstream.

Where the valley was wide, the rise of the river level was of the order of 5-7m and 10-12m. And where the valley was narrow. In the upper stretches of Mandakini, the stream gradient was high and the valley profile was mostly narrow.

The gush of water was running down from Kedarnath and Rambara areas. And it brought a giant sediment load consisting of a huge rock boulder.

The heavy sediment load along with giant boulders acted as weapons of destruction. And it vanished away everything that came in between their way.

The Overflow of Chorabari Lake

When we talk about the Kedarnath flood story and reason, then one of the major reasons for the flash flood was a glacier lake. This glacier lake is Chorabari Lake which is also known as a “Killer Lake”.

Due to continuous rain and cloudbursts, the level of Chorabari Lake increased and Chorabari Lake (Gandhi Sarovar Lake) exploded naturally.

Chorabari Lake had water sources from the melting glaciers and heavy rainfall in the morning the dam closure of Chorabari Lake burst.

The flood which came down from Chorabari Lake was about 300m in height and moving at a speed of 40km/h.

The flash flood was there for less than 5 minutes according to the localities there. Everything got destroyed and destructed within minutes except the main Kedarnath temple.

Deaths in Kedarnath Disaster 2013

The districts of Bageshwar, Chamoli, Pithoragarh, Rudraprayag, and Uttarkashi were the worst affected areas. A large population in several areas was cut off across the state. And they suffered a lot due to the shortage of essential commodities.

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How many died in Kedarnath Flood?

This horrific incident was part of the 2013 North India Flood . It affected 4550 Villages and caused more than 5748 deaths. This is the government data, so the real death count could be more than 10,000 deaths.

How Kedarnath Temple Survived Flood?

The extensive volume of water-induced erosion along the river valley which turns triggered landslides at a number of places. It is worth noting though that despite the damage caused and the fear instilled by the floods.

The faith of the pilgrims was restored when they realized that most parts of Kedarnath town had undergone a deviation. What remained untouched was the Shiva temple built in the 8th century AD. A huge rock got stuck behind the Kedarnath Temple and protected it from the damage of the flood.

In this whole Kedarnath Flood Story, the most surprising incident is about Bhimshila Stone. During the flash flood, a huge boulder (rock) fell from the mountain and stood between the floods behind the main temple.

And this giant stone (now called Bhimshila) proved to be the savior of the Kedarnath Temple. And it blocked water to come inside and diverted the route of the flash flood.

The water flowed on both sides of the temple destroying everything that came in their path. Even eyewitnesses observed that one large rock got stuck to the backside of Kedarnath Temple. Thus causing obstruction to the debris, and that boulder diverted the flow of river and debris. That’s how Temple avoided any damage.

“Bhim Shila” – The Stone Behind Kedarnath Temple

The holy temple itself did not suffer any major damage. And only minor damage can be seen. It can only be called a miraculous act that a huge rock got stuck behind the temple. And it protected the temple from destructive floods. This stone is now known as Bhim Shila.

People believe that God has saved them which seems very true. And nobody knows where it came from and how every boulder was swept away except this great big boulder.

The temple unbelievably withstood the calamity, suffering only a small crack in one of its four walls.

It stood like an enormous wall and eventually saved the lives of people who were inside the temple. But sadly couldn’t save the lives of a thousand other pilgrims who were outside the temple at the time of this gigantic disaster. And the entire valley suffered a huge loss of life and property.

Kedarnath temple is made in such a way that it acts as a damage-proof device as its architecture is very well maintained. During the flash flood, Kedarnath Temple stood strong like a giant mountain.

What Experts Say About Kedarnath Flood 2013?

Despite the fact that heavy rainfall and cloudburst are major reasons for floods and landslides. But the environmentalists believe that the flash flood of 2013 in Uttarakhand was a man-made one.

“Unplanned and haphazard construction, mismanaged tourism and intensive mining in this fragile ecosystem are some of the major reasons that made to name this natural disaster partly as man-made that increased the intensity and magnitude of flood and its damages,” writes Kala.

Disasters Effect on Tourism in Uttarakhand

The study shows the relationship between natural disasters and tourism. A natural disaster is a regular phenomenon in the Himalayan states.

Uttarakhand is the most disaster-prone state of India. The State has been suffering from disasters repeatedly with a noticeable impact on the tourism industry.

The tourism industry is one of the important sources of income, prosperity, and socio-economic upliftment for the Himalayan states in India. Kedarnath shivered by the event, and tourism declined in the area after the flood tragedy in 2013.

Over the years the number of pilgrims visiting the area also rapidly increased.

In order to meet the increasing demands of religious tourism. The Uttarakhand government built an intricate network of roads, hotels, and lodges and carried out other construction activities.

However, it is also true that the unexpected timing of the rainfall and the unusual amount of it also did not leave enough time for the pilgrims to move out.

Although the temple withstood the intensity of the floods, the complex and surrounding area were destroyed. Resulting in the death of hundreds of pilgrims and locals.

Shops and hotels in Kedarnath were brutally destroyed and all roads were broken.

Many people were inside the temple at the time of the Kedarnath flood in 2013. And they took shelter inside the temple for several hours, until the Indian Army rescued them to safer places.

After that, the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand announced that the Kedarnath shrine would remain closed for a year to clear the debris.

Rescue Operations in Kedarnath

The relief work was done by a combined team of the Army, Airforce, and Navy. Other than this, ITBP, BSF, NDRF, and PWD were on duty Within five days. The army had deployed about 10,000 soldiers. And the Airforce had brought in more than 45 pieces of aircraft to carry out the rescue operation.

The ITBP which guards the Indo-China border swung into action even before the army or the Air Force could reach the spot. They managed to rescue more than 33,000 people from remote, inaccessible mountain zones.

After the disaster, the rescue operation in the region in itself had become a risky affair due to the unpredictable weather conditions. Mountainous topography and lack of accessibility in the majority of the routes were very challenging for the rescuers. After the disaster, the fear among pilgrims resulted in a fall of number in tourism. And Tourism is a major source of economy for most of the locals in Uttarakhand.

The Nanda Devi Raj Jaat Yatra is one of the most important festivals in Uttarakhand. It takes place every 12 years and was scheduled to take place on August 29, 2013. However, the state government was forced to cancel it on account of the damage caused to roads and bridges.

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Climate Change—Induced Natural Disaster: A Case Study of 2013 Kedarnath Disaster, Uttrakhand

DOI link for Climate Change—Induced Natural Disaster: A Case Study of 2013 Kedarnath Disaster, Uttrakhand

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Climate change in higher Himalaya are very uncertain, that led to a various natural disaster, such as cloudburst triggered flash flood, landslide, debris flow snow avalanches is due to extreme weather condition and are very common in Himalaya region, In the last 50 years, the intensity and frequency of heavy precipitation increased that results in increased flood and larger scale of the landslide. The Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) shows that the increase in temperature, the intensity of rainfall, storm intensity, and variability are likely to result in global climate change. During the recent studies it is observed that, extreme climate change was mainly due to population growth and deforestation. The global climate change led to an increase in rainfall that may influence the chain of multiple hazards called cascading hazard as flood, landslide, and glacier outburst floods. The aim of this work is to discuss a case study of the 15-17 June 2013, Kedarnath disaster and assess how climate change pattern and rainfall acts as a cascading event for multiple hazards using remote sensing. During 15-17 June 2013 heavy rainfall occurred in Kedarnath led to cause flood in and around the adjoining region and experience massive landslides and debris flow along Mandakini and Bhagirathi basin. We used MODIS Land Surface temperature (LST) to study the climate change impact during the devastating Kedarnath disaster. All the meteorological factors collected from the satellite data, for rainfall analysis GPM satellite data and IMD gridded data are used.

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The 2013 Kedarnath Tragedy and the Post-calamity Eco-conscious Development

Introduction

Kedarnath prides itself as being the heart of India’s spiritual culture. Located in the state of Uttarakhand at an altitude of 11,755 feet in the Garhwal Himalaya mountain ranges, the Kedarnath temple lies at the confluence of the Mandakini and Saraswati Rivers. [1] This temple is the highest of the twelve Jyotirlingams in India. The first reference related to the Kedarnath temple finds mention in the Skandapurana [2] and thereafter in various other ancient texts. [3] There exist several theories regarding the origin of the temple. According to local folklores, the temple was built by the Pandavas. Yet another version mentions that Raja Bhoja of Malwa built the same in the 2 nd century. It is however popularly accepted that the present Kedarnath temple was built by the great Advaitic seer Adi Shankaracharya. The divine architectural wonder of the temple has stood the test of time and still remains as the cultural nerve centre of Bharatavarsha. Geologists claim that the Kedarnath temple was under snow for nearly 400 years during the little ice age, sometime between 1300-1900 CE. [4] However, nothing has affected its glory and charm.

The largest natural disaster to hit India since the 2004 tsunami occurred in June 2013, when a midday cloudburst with a focus on the northern state of Uttarakhand triggered devastating floods and landslides. The amount of rain recorded in June 2013 was 385mm, which is far greater than what the state typically experiences. Major overflows were caused by debris blocking the rivers. [5] Although all thirteen of the State’s districts were devastated, Bageshwar, Chamoli, Pithoragarh, Rudraprayag, and Uttarkashi were the worst afflicted. The catastrophe occurred during the busiest travel and pilgrimage period, [6] greatly increasing the number of fatalities and increasing the magnitude of destruction. In the Mandakini valley, the effects of the disaster were most noticeable. Flooding occurred at the Kedarnath Shrine and the adjoining areas of Rambara, Agastyamuni, Tilwara, and Guptkashi due to torrential rainfall and the collapse of the Chorabari lake. Significant damage was also done to nearby pilgrimage sites like Gangotri, Yamunotri, and Badrinath. The catastrophe resulted in a significant loss of human and animal life.  It severely damaged both private and public assets. The flash floods affected over nine million people and countless animals. [7] Over 4000 people died in the tragedy, which was attributed to nature and was written off as an “Act of God,” although it is clear that human meddling was also a prime reason for the catastrophe. The present article aims to identify the environmental factors and human trigger points that led to the calamity. It also aims to review Modi government’s Nature centric re-installation efforts for the restoration of the glory of Kedarnath Dham. Finally, the article aims to highlight that the seed of eco-conscious development lie in the rich philosophy of Bharatavarsha.                                                 

Research Methodology

The study was conducted as a qualitative library method. The same is primarily based on secondary data taken from a variety of literary sources, most notably reports from the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) and the Government of Uttarakhand, as well as numerous books, research papers, and articles. For this study, reports submitted by news agencies like Asian News International (ANI) have been meticulously followed. Official websites of Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Environment, Planning Commission of India, Archeological Survey of India and Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board, have also been consulted. Additionally, locals were questioned to learn about their perspectives. Documentaries on Kedarnath and Uttarakhand have also been consulted to arrive at a conclusion.  

The Natural Causes of 2013 Kedarnath Tragedy

Kedarnath’s natural setting and environmental sensitivity most definitely had a role to play in the 2013 tragedy. Let’s briefly understand the natural causes that led to the disaster.  

• Geographical setting: The positioning of Kedarnath makes it extremely vulnerable to natural calamities. The Delhi-Haridwar ridge further adds fuel to fire and makes Uttarakhand in general and Kedarnath in particular a geographically sensitive region. The Delhi-Haridwar ridge beyond the boundaries of Delhi submerges bellow alluvium and penetrates below the Himalayan rock. This ridge also lies on the Indo-Australian plate [8] which is slowly shifting towards the North and is putting extreme pressure on Uttarakhand in the Himalayan range.
• Rain prone area: The entire Kedarnatha region is prone to excessive rainfall. According to the Indian Meteorological Department, the phenomenal rainfall between June 14 and 18 resulted in devastating landslides. The rainfall between 15 June and 18 June 2013 was measured at 385.1 mm, against the normal rainfall of 71.3 mm, [9] which was in excess by 440 per cent. The rain was caused by convergence of the southwest monsoon and westerly disturbances that lead to the formation of dense clouds over Uttarakhand. The Rudraprayag district and surrounding areas experienced severe flooding as a result of the Mandakini River erupting due to heavy rain which resulted in elevated river The torrent of water that rushed down from the Kedarnath and Rambara regions delivered a massive silt load that was made up of enormous rock boulders which washed away everything that came its way. Additionally, the massive amount of water caused excessive erosion throughout the region, which led to colossal landslides.

Human Interference that Triggered the 2013 Kedarnath Tragedy

Besides natural and environmental factors, the 2013 Kedarnath tragedy was also instigated by human interference. These were:

• State government ’ s casual approach: Warnings issues by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi, were not heeded by the state government. The first such warning was given on June 13, 2013 when rainfall was recorded at 35.6-64.44mm. Daily warnings were given thereafter, with a warning being given on June 16 and 17 of expected rainfall of more than 244.5mm [10] . All of these were ignored by the state government.
• Ignorance of the locals and the government: The local people of the area had constructed houses on the west stream of the Mandakini River that had been dry for When the river returned to its original course as the calamity arrived, these constructions were washed   away. The government and locals both are to be blamed for poor housing designs, cheap materials used (un-burnt bricks and mud) and wrong housing development techniques. The locals also indulge in disposing of waste, plastic bottles, polythene bags etc in the rivers that added to the chances of the disaster taking shape.
• Population Explosion: An increase in population had put pressure of immense magnitude upon the entire Kedarnath and Uttarakhand region which became one of the reasons for the disaster. The average population density per sq. km in the state of Uttarakhand in the year 2001 was recorded at 84.89. By 2011, this had increased to 100.86. [11]
• Deforestation: The cutting down of trees and bushes for construction of roads and other infrastructure, led to soil erosion which made the entire region of Uttarakhand, and Kedarnath in particular, vulnerable to devastating landslides and floods.
• Discarding the bodies of mules and ponies in the rivers: In the Mandakini River, which emerges from Chorabari glacier and mixes with Ganga, hundreds of dead mules are dumped. Besides contaminating the river, this also obstructs the water flow in the river. The bodies of dead animals, are many a times left on the path to the temple which not just leads to foul smell due to decomposition but also pollutes the divine environment of the shrine. [12]
• Unregulated promotion of tourism: Pulling international and national tourists to Uttarakhand did increase revenue of the state but it also added greatly to the 2013 tragedy. For people staying in the regions of Delhi, NCR and adjoining areas, Uttarakhand became a second home. The upsurge in the number tourists and pilgrims also opened doors for hotels, motels, lodges, restaurants, small time vendors and more. This added to the 2013 Kedarnath tragedy. It is to be noted that from 2000-2010 the number of tourists increased by 300% (from 1.11 crore to 3.11 crore). [13]
• Unmindful and erroneous construction: Lack of environmentally sustainable development and ignorance towards existing flaws became a major reason for the Kedarnatha 2013 tragedy. This included construction of roads, bridges and other structures in landslide prone areas, steep slope foundations and unsuitable places. Riverbeds were recklessly mined for sand, and due to the accumulation of construction debris, land contours and rivers changed their flow. Construction of hydroelectric dams in this sensitive region also paid scant heed to environmental concerns. It is to be noted that there are seventy large dams in Uttarakhand region and 680 incomplete dams that were present before the Kedarnath 2013 tragedy. The drainage systems were also faulty. New structures were constructed on old and feeble drains which acted as a barrier towards rainwater. Finally, there was a lack of education and awareness of multiple issues with respect to preserving the environment and of dealing with disasters.

Eco-consciously Reconstructing Kedarnath’ s Cultural Heritage (2014-2022)  

Post the 2013 disater, the Modi government came up with a well-thought-off plan to rebuild Kedarnath in an ecologically conscious and conceptually sound manner. The eco-conscious hill-town developmental plan of Kedarnatha was quick in receiving the Platinum Indian Green Building Council Grading (IGBC). [14] A risk mitigation strategy is added to it, and it includes recruiting and educating community marshals as well as managing hazardous conditions. A vernacular architectural style has been adopted for all buildings using local construction materials, technology and craftsmen. In order to make Kedarnath a world class pilgrimage mountain town, the development will revolve around the 3PECH Formula ( preservation, protection and promotion of Environment, Culture and Heritage ). [15]

.                                                                                          Source: Self

Fig.3. 3PECH Formula for the Protection, Preservation and Promotion of Environment, Culture and Heritage at Kedarnatha

Significant developments that have taken place post 2013 Kedarnath tragedy under Prime Minister Modi are:

• Adi Shankaracharya Samadhi and virtual museum : On 5th November 2021, PM Modi inaugurated Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya’s Samadhi and the virtual museum. [16] The museum embodies Bharatavarsha’s rich heritage, culture and furthers Adi Shankaracharya’s The 12 feet high statue of Adi Shankaracharya weighing 35 tons is placed atop a Shriyantara. Sculpted by the Mysore based sculptor Arjun Yogiraj, the samadhi and statue symbolise the country’s rich heritage, culture, literature, art and environmental consciousness.
• Smriti Vana Memorial: The Smriti Vana Memorial came into existence on June 17, 2019 in the memory of the people who lost their lives during the 2013 Kedarnatha t [17] The Smriti van memorial park is creatively utilising all large boulders that came down from landslides during the mishap. No other material has been used in developing the Smriti Vana Memorial other than the natural boulders and native vegetation. This Memorial Vana also promotes eco-awareness, preserves indigenous plants and fosters a culture that contributes to the preservation of the entire area. Additionally, it will be developed as an ecotourism destination where visitors can commune with nature and find inspiration to conserve and protect the environment.
• Three Meditation Caves along the Kedarnatha route : To preserve and promote the culture of silence, dharana, dhyana, Samadhi and yoga, three mauna meditational caves have been developed along the route to The caves are administered by the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVL). [18] These caves will not only promote the ‘Bhartiya Parampara’ that is rooted spirituality but will also add aesthetic value to the scenic beauty of the Kedarnatha route. Each cave is well equipped with electricity, water and toilets. Shri Narendra Modi, in 2019, meditated for 17 hours at the Rudra Gufa. [19] This cave is an underground cave constructed by the Nehru Mountaineering Institute. Also known as “Dhyana Gufa”, it is barely half a kilometre from the main Kedarnath shrine. [20]
• Construction of the 12.5 km Sonprayaga-Gaurikunda-Kedarnath Ropeway and Animal Welfare : The 12.5 km [21] ropeway to Kedarnath, bridges the gap between Sonprayag and Kedarnath. However, this stretch remains an extremely eco-sensitive region. Since the Kedarnath development pledges to be eco-conscious while also ensuring the preservation of cultural and historical value of the site, it went through an entire process of acquiring approvals from the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL). With the construction of this ropeway, at a cost of Rs 1200 crore, the distance between Sonprayag to Kedarnath Dham will be greatly reduced. When completed, this ropeway will be the longest ropeway in Uttarakhand and at 11,500 feet, the highest ropeway in the world.

5. Saraswati-Mandakini Ghats & Retaining wall: After the 2013 floods, a huge amount of water began gushing down the Mandakini and Saraswati rivers along with volumes of debris. Damage of immense magnitude was done to the river edges. To avoid any such devastation in future, a 350-meter-long river edge, pitra-ghats and protection walls are being developed to maintain our heritage and also provide protection against any unforeseen circumstances. These developments will take place along the eastern and western banks of Saraswati-Mandakini rivers, respectively. The developments of ghats will not only provide devotees a platform to perform puja but will also ensure an aesthetic view of the region. The retaining wall will also define the flow of the rivers and will ensure protection against soil erosion. It is also important to note that these developments have taken place along the existing terrain elevation in order to avoid any major transformation to the same. This part will also have a cafeteria, washrooms, seventy purohit quarters, changing rooms, visitors facility pavilion and more. To give a visual treat to the pilgrims, and for the further development of heritage and culture, wall murals and art works will be created. Both the edges follow a slope that will not let the water stay near the temple and surrounding area. The point where Saraswati and Mandakini will meet will be known as the “Sangamghat”. Eight guest houses have also been constructed on this ghat.

• Construction of Bio-digestible Toilets on the Kedarnatha Trek Route: Culturally Bharatavarsha has celebrated cleanliness since time immemorial. The same has been revered through ages. Be it Patanjali’s Yogasutra where “ Sauca” becomes the first pillar of Niyama or Adi Shankaracharya who stresses upon the purity of Antahkarna, cleanliness becomes the first step towards knowledge, wisdom and spirituality . The earlier trek route to Kedarnath shrine had no facility of toilets which made the journey extremely difficult. Now, 323 toilets have been built along the route to Kedarnath. The Kedarnath Dham now prides itself with DRDO (Defense Research and Development Organisation) designed bio-digestible toilets. [22] These toilets are unique and degenerate waste in an environmentally friendly way with the help of bacteria that anaerobically digest the waste. These toilets are also portable and can be stationed anywhere. [23]
• Waste Management at Kedarnatha Area: In May 2022, a picture of garbage pile at Kedarnath went viral on the internet. After a thorough investigation, it came to light that many pilgrims who visited the site had littered carelessly and this became a national concern. Whilst the public is being educated on this issue, the government is also devising strategies to meet the challenges of food waste, temple waste, bio-medical waste, rural solid waste, construction and demolition waste, hazardous waste, electronic waste, plastic waste, water waste and sewage treatment, ground water contamination, recharge and extraction, air and noise pollution, illegal mining and more. Further, systems like the Recykal Deposit Refund System (deposit a plastic bottle and get a refund of Rs10), Material Recovery Facility (for picking up dry waste), Micro Auto Gastification System (MAGS) and Smart Xpress Composter System (SXCS) have also come into being to strengthen the waste management system. Although, there is a 3R method to deal with waste (Reduce-Reuse-Recycle), this paper suggests the following 5R [24] method in order to deal with the same.

.                                                Fig.14. Suggested 5R approach for waste management

8. Intelligent Traffic Management System and Pedestrian Friendly Pathways: The pathway for pilgrims has been defined and is predominantly connected through public spaces such as the temple path, Saraswati Ghat and temple These paths are guided by way finding signage. “Specially able  people,” emergency and supporting services will move along the peripheral path through battery operated/electronic vehicles (ATV – All Terrain Vehicles). These electric vehicles will be managed by the control decks situated along the Mandakini River. Being a prominent pilgrim site, it was important to create circulation of the crowd during peak hours. Thus, a pathway towards the main shrine has been developed in a manner that allows a person to reach the temple in a span of 8-10 minutes. The site is also universally accessible and barrier free. The pathways comprise of street guidelines that incorporate public facilities i.e., benches, luminaries, dustbins, planters and sculptures.

• IT Connectivity and Digitisation: The site is enabled with radio frequency based local internet network, presently used to provide essential services such as Wi-Fi by point to point and point to multipoint wireless communication system. The area is also well equipped with “Smart Public Addressal System” through which wireless outdoor speakers can be operated, these speakers are durable and can stand harsh weather conditions.
• Eco-friendly Street Lighting System: The street lights will be high-end in technology however they will be operated by solar energy and thus they will be environmentally
• Disaster Management System: A sensitive place like Kedarnath that is prone to earthquakes and floods requires a strong Disaster Management System. Therefore, risk mitigation through preparation of disaster risk reduction plan has been put in place. Further, identification, training and retraining programs related to dealing with such disasters have been developed. Building of proper civil infrastructure i.e., retaining walls, embankments and more have been developed to reduce devastation of immense magnitude during natural calamities. The area is also being well equipped with the provision of evacuation plan, disaster shelters and refuge centres that can shelter 28,000 people during catastrophes.
• Laser/Light and Sound show: A laser light and sound show at the Kedarnath temple has been conceived as a means of cultural development. The show is called “Adi Ananta Shiva.” This 25-minute show will depict the association of Lord Śiva with Kedarnath area. It will also story-tell the great epic Mahabharata and will further showcase the 2013 tragedy. The aim of this show is “cultural and historical learning through entertainment and storytelling.” The laser-light show effectively turns the temple’s left wall into a giant “screen” for a spectacular display. This show is operational 7 days a week. The same will further become a source of employment and livelihood for many locals.

T he 2013 Kedarnath tragedy was not merely an “Act of God/ Nature,” but also involved considerable human involvement and governmental incompetence. However, after the catastrophe, changes were undertaken based on recognising the errors of the previous administration and emphasising environmental conscious development. It is crucial to realise that any growth carried out at the expense of Mother Nature cannot be either sustainable or advantageous. The Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi has frequently discussed environmentally conscious and holistic development. In fact, he is the first Indian prime minister to actively promote the advancement of nature, stray animals, and wildlife in addition to human development and upliftment.

Without a doubt, Advaitavada, as propounded by Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya is the spirit of Bharatavarsha. Advaitavada also becomes the conclusive thought of the Vedic and Upaniṣadic literature. According to Advaitamata, everything manifests from the Supreme Brahman, lives in “It” and finally merges back into its source. Since, Advaitavada is the fundamental guiding principle of Bharatvarsha’s ethical, social, political, religious, environmental and overall thought and practice, every development should keep Advaitavada at its core for the well-being of all creatures. Advaitavada is not limited to human beings nor is it human centric as in case of Abrahamic faith systems. In fact, it sees the entire creation as a single unit and fosters no preference towards any creature, specie or being. Thus, keeping Advaitavada as the guiding philosophy at Kedarnath Dham, it is suggested that the developments taking place must be for the overall wellness of all beings (humans, animals, trees, rivers and more).

Mahatma Gandhi, gave us the practical philosophy of Antodaya, Sarvodaya, and Gramswaraja which have their roots in Advaitavada. According to Antodaya, the last being of the society must be provided with the necessities to live a life of harmony and peace. When all beings are rooted in harmony, it will automatically lead to Sarvodaya, which professes that there must be upliftment of all lives without discrimination towards any. When every life is taken care of and there is holistic development, it will become the foundation of Gramswaraja. The same professes that every village should be a self-sufficient unit that is independent and self-reliant. It is to be understood that limiting Antodaya, Sarvodaya and Gramswaraj to merely human kind is downgrading the very philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi. The same must be understood in a holistic fashion and must take into account all beings from a crawling ant to the humongous mountain. Here it also becomes imperative to highlight Buddha’s Pratityasamutapada or the theory of interdependence. It must be lucidly understood that we are not independent units. Our independence, birth, growth and sustenance are directly proportional and dependent upon various beings. Thus, in the wellness of all lives lies our own wellness. Based upon the philosophical edicts mentioned above, following are a few suggestions that can be included in the development of Kedarnath and surrounding areas.

Environmental Measures

• Increase the number of toilets and equip every toilet with sanitary napkins.
• Removing mules from Kedarnath Area.
• Establish Mobile Veterinary Clinics. Also, employ ‘pashu Mitra’s’ who should be trained as Para-vets.

Economical and Social Measures.

• Construction and promotion of of Hunar Hatt and Uttarakhand Bhoj Anand under Vocal for Local for encouraging local art, handicraft, regional delicacies and cuisines of Uttarakhand.
• Construction Vocational Training Centres for skill development.
• Popularise Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Inviting Scholars from India and Abroad for short-term projects on local herbs, art, architecture, culture, environment and more.

Author Brief Bio: Dr. Vandana Sharma ‘Diya’ is a Post-Doctoral Fellow, Indian Council of Social Sciences Research, MoE, Academician, Indian Knowledge System, MoC and Principal Researcher, Kedarnath Dhama, MoE.

References:

[1] Kinsley David, Hindu Goddesses: Visions of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Religious Tradition , Motilal Banarasidass, Delhi, 1998, pp.11,13 (Saraswatī River is mentioned in the Ṛgveda)

[2] Skandapurana; Kedarakhanda.

[3] Śhantiparva , Ch.35; Vanaparva , Ch.38; Lingapurana , Ch.12; Vamanapurana, Ch.36; Padmapurana, Ch.61; Kurmapurana, Ch.36;   Garudapurana, Ch.81;   Saurapurana, Ch.69;    Brahmavaivratpurana, Ch.17.

[4] https://www.news18.com/news/india/kedarnath-shrine-was-under-snow-for-400-years-scientists-619076.html

[5] National Institute of Disaster Management (MHA), India Disaster Report 2013 , Delhi, 2014.

https://nidm.gov.in/pdf/pubs/india%20disaster%20report%202013.pdf .

[6] Kedarnatha Temple remains open to public between Akshaye Tritiya (April) and Kartik Purnima (November).

[7] National Institute of Disaster Management (MHA), India Disaster Report 2013 , Delhi, 2014

[8] The Australian continent and its surrounding seas are part of the Indo-Australian Plate, a significant tectonic plate that also stretches northwest to include the Indian subcontinent and nearby oceans. It was created around 43 million years ago when Indian Ocean’s mid-ocean ridge, which had been separating the two plates, stopped spreading, and merged with the Australian plate.

[9] National Institute of Disaster Management (MHA), India Disaster Report 2013 , Delhi, 2014.

[10] Ministry of Home Affairs, Kedarnath Warning , Delhi, 2013. https://www.mha.gov.in/MHA1/Par2017/pdfs/par2013-pdfs/rs-070813/385.pdf

[11] National Institute of Disaster Management, Uttarakhanda Disaster 2013, Ministry of Home Affairs, Delhi, 2015.p.29 https://nidm.gov.in/pdf/pubs/ukd-p1.pdf

[12]   (i)Shivani Azad, Carcasses of dead mules in Kedarnath thrown into Mandakini , Times of India, 2022, Carcasses of dead mules in Kedarnath thrown into Mandakini, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/91796427.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst .

(ii) Interview with Mrs.Gauri Mulekhi, Trustee, People for Animals.

[13] National Institute of Disaster Management, Uttarakhanda Disaster 2013, Ministry of Home Affairs, Delhi, 2015.p.30 https://nidm.gov.in/pdf/pubs/ukd-p1.pdf

[14] On information gathered from Sh.Puneet Aggarwal, The Counselor at Indian Green Building Council (www.igbc.in)

[15] Developed by Dr.Vandana Sharma ‘Diya’

[16] Asian News International, PM Modi unveils Shri Adi Shankaracharya Samadhi and statue in Kedarnath , Uttarakhanda, 2021.

https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/pm-modi-unveils-statue-of-adi-shankaracharya-at-kedarnath20211105093620/

[17]   The Statesman, Smriti Van created in the memory of Kedarnath disaster victims , Dehradun, 2019

‘Smriti Van’ created in memory of Kedarnath disaster victims

[18] Sacred Yatra, https://www.sacredyatra.com/rudra-meditation-cave-kedarnath.html

[19] The Week, Kedarnath cave where Modi meditated, Uttarakhanda, 2019.

https://www.theweek.in/news/india/2019/05/19/kedarnath-cave-where-modi-meditated-equipped-with-wifi-telephone-toilet.html

[20] E-uttaranchala, Rudra Cave Kedarnatha ,  https://www.euttaranchal.com/tourism/rudra-cave-kedarnath.php

[21] National Highways Logistic Management Ltd, Ropeway, Delhi, 2016, http://nhlm.in/ropeway.html

[22] https://www.chardhamtour.in/bio-digester-toilets-on-the-routes-of-char-dham-route.html

[23] https://www.drdo.gov.in/bio-digester

[24] Conceptualized by Dr.Vandana Sharma

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Unnatural Disaster: How Global Warming Helped Cause India’s Catastrophic Flood

Heat of the Moment

Planet Earths average temperature has risen about one degree Fahrenheit in the last fifty years. By...

Two years ago this month, a flood devastated the Himalayan village of Kedarnath, India, the destination of half a million Hindu pilgrims annually. The town sits 11,500 feet up in a tight valley. Sharp, snowy peaks tower on three sides and a stone temple sits at one end. The flood — which occurred on June 17, 2013 — was India's worst disaster in a decade. Several thousand people drowned. The deluge tore apart dozens of bridges, swept away miles of paved roads, and carried off herds of livestock.

Government officials, scientific researchers, and media commentators soon speculated about the cause of the flood and about why so many people had died. They pointed to the early and heavy monsoon rains. They railed against poorly built homes, unregulated development along the Mandakini River that runs through Kedarnath, and soil erosion caused by thousands of pilgrims trekking on foot and on donkeys to reach this remote town in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand. All these factors contributed. Yet in the two years since the flood, scientists studying with the care and intensity of forensic investigators have added another key cause: global warming. In recent papers, they conclude that melting glaciers and shifting storm tracks may soon set off more catastrophic floods in mountainous regions of India and adjacent countries. Atmospheric scientists say that in northern India the intense rains that preceded the disaster are extremely rare. But they have discovered that an unusual collision of weather systems steered storms over Uttarakhand and locked them in place, pouring rain down for days. Long-term changes in weather patterns are making such collisions more likely, a development that some scientists believe is caused by global warming. Global warming has is also melting glaciers all over the Himalayas, including one perched above Kedarnath. Some researchers say that had the glacier remained healthy, heavy rain alone would not have destabilized a gravel bank that collapsed, releasing a destructive pulse of debris-filled water. Sitting on the carpet in his father's living room, in New Delhi, 200 miles southwest of Kedarnath, Vaibhav Kaul, a young geographer, watched reports of the disaster on TV. He remembers thinking to himself, "that was exactly the kind of scenario I'd been studying for the year." He'd recently completed a Masters degree in Environmental Change and Management at Oxford University in the United Kingdom. His thesis studied how Himalayan communities could better prepare for catastrophic floods from the lakes above them. He'd briefly considered making Kedarnath the subject of his research. A devout Hindu and descended from Kashmiri Pandits — an elite caste that has produced many of India's ruling class of scholars, administrators and politicians — Kaul had made the religious excursion to Kedarnath once before and hiked two hours above the town to Lake Chorabari Tal. But when he later read a report cataloging the Himalayan lakes most likely to flood and endanger communities below, Chorabari Tal was not among those listed as "potentially dangerous." He decided to study towns elsewhere in the Himalayas instead. But his instincts proved to be correct. Four months after the flood, Kaul set off on a scientific pilgrimage to the disaster site, determined to learn why a town considered relatively safe had flooded. He wore a traditional robe, hanging to below his knees, and the sort of dark wool vest favored by men in Kashmir, the mountainous region of his ancestors. The flood had severed the eight-mile footpath to Kedarnath from the rest of India. Kaul took a bus to Guptkashi, the closest town with public transport, but nearly 25 miles short of Kedarnath. He continued on foot, astonished at the scale of destruction even so far downstream. The flood had passed through Kedarnath and surged down the Mandakini, joined by swollen tributaries, gathering force and debris. Kaul saw bare abutments where bridges had stood and foundationless houses dangling above landslide scars. Thirty hydroelectric plants had been damaged or destroyed. About four miles shy of Kedarnath, he came to the former site of Rambara, a way station that once had about 100 seasonal shopping stalls and several small hotels. Pilgrims had rested there over sweet, milky tea and fried flatbreads and bought camping supplies and religious trinkets. Kaul saw only an empty shelf of bedrock strewn with boulders. "One couldn't imagine there'd been anything there," he said later. Some of of Kedarnath's steel-reinforced concrete guesthouses and stuccoed fieldstone homes survived better. Still, nearly three quarters of its 259 buildings had been damaged. More than half had been battered and washed away. The flood took most of its victims in Kedarnath, the season's first pilgrims. "They were still finding dead people," Kaul recalled, noting that he had smelled rotting flesh and watched relief workers excavate a severed leg. Kaul climbed steep hills to an overlook about 2,000 feet above the town. The top of a hulking mountain, nearly 23,000 feet tall and crowned by Chorabari glacier, appeared. It blocked the sky at the head of the valley. At an inflection point, where the slope leveled off, a vast tongue of ice stretched out for a mile. Kaul looked for Chorabari Tal. It should have been visible below him, near the tongue's tip. But there was no lake to be seen. Titanic geologic forces had forged Chorabari Tal during the widespread cold spell that lasted from about 1300 to 1870 and is known as the Little Ice Age. The glacier had bulldozed stone into linear piles — moraines — jammed between the advancing tongue and the valley's bedrock rim. The ice had then receded, leaving the lake's lens-shaped basin, a depression with no outlet. Rain and melted snow filled it every spring and summer. At times, water drained out through the porous moraine, and the water level dropped. Now, as Kaul looked down, he saw that the basin was empty. He knew what had occurred: The moraine had ruptured, letting loose the lake's entire contents in a catastrophic spasm. Kaul surveyed the town sprawling in the valley below him. It was built on a bed of gravel shaped like the prow of a ship sailing toward the glacier. Metal roofs sparkled. Unscathed by the flood, the Kedarnath Hindu temple stood at the narrow end of town. The shrine, stately, gabled and thick-walled, was built of huge stacked stone blocks. Priests probably constructed it in the 8th or 9th century, on the site of an even older temple, and dedicated it to the Hindu god Lord Shiva the Destroyer. From his overlook, Kaul saw the boulder that had saved the temple from destruction. Miraculously, the deluge had scooped up this 30-foot-long rock and dropped it, perpendicular to the current, just steps short of the temple, where it had deflected the churning waters around the historic building. Kaul snapped a set of pictures. A few weeks later, British geographer Dave Petley, at the University of East Anglia, published some of Kaul's photos on a blog widely read by landslide researchers. These photos proved what Petley and other scientists had suspected from blurry satellite images released by India's space agency. They showed a V-shaped cut in the natural dike that had dammed Chorabari Tal for centuries. An 18-wheeler could fit through the break in the gravel wall. Using Kaul's photos, Petley explained in blog posts the chain of events implied by the breached embankment in the days before the flood. The lake probably had swelled to capacity during the heavy rain and accompanying snowmelt. The weight of all that water could have punched through the dike. When the wall broke apart, an immense wave loaded with boulders raced a mile downhill straight for Kedarnath. Terrified pilgrims and inhabitants had huddled inside any shelter they found. Survivors describe hearing a tremendous boom. The torrent poured into the Mandakini River, already raging above the town with the downpours and snowmelt. Chandi Prasad Tiwari, a shopkeeper, saw a wave crest over a three-story building. "God, please help us, please help us," he recalls sobbing. He felt sure he'd die. The Chorabari Tal's basin is not huge. "Just a puddle," Kaul says. But it probably released its entire contents, about 100 million gallons, in a quarter of an hour, say scientists at the University of Calcutta. The team estimated that for several minutes the torrent pounded Kedarnath with half the flow of Niagara Falls. If Chorabari Tal's 100 million gallons were the explosive blow that hit Kedarnath and its occupants, what set it in motion? Why did the lake basin, intact for hundreds of years, burst now? Researchers have spent the two years since the catastrophe trying to find out. They suspect two factors: the unusually heavy rainfall, and the degraded condition of Chorabari Glacier. Monsoon rain poured torrentially throughout India the week prior to the flood. Twice as much rain fell in the first two weeks of June, 2013 as had fallen in the same fortnight in any of the prior 60 years. It fell with ferocity in the mountains of Uttarakhand. Just before the storm washed it away on June 16, a rain gauge at Chorabari Tal set up by Indian researchers recorded 13 inches of rainfall in a 24-hour period. Despite scant long-term weather records for the region, studies show that such a downpour was rare, and perhaps unprecedented. One research paper calculated that an equally wet month probably occurs less often than once a century. Indian researchers attribute the abrupt, intense rainstorms that sometimes drench Himalayan states to a type of weather system called a Western Disturbance, in which moisture travels to India on high altitude winds from the Mediterranean Sea, over the Arabian Peninsula, past Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. There the wet wind hits the Himalayas and drops its moisture, showering northern India several times a month during the winter. Western Disturbance storms are less common after mid-spring. Then, the summer monsoon begins, bearing moisture from the Bay of Bengal and spreading north and west from near Kolkata on India's eastern coast. In an interview at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, A. P. Dimri, a specialist in Himalayan weather patterns, says that a freak collision of a Western Disturbance and the summer monsoon combined in the extreme rains of June, 2013 ( see this paper he coauthored ). The monsoon struck southeastern India as usual, in the second week of the month. But clouds raced north and west with extraordinary speed. The rain arrived in Uttrakhand two weeks ahead of schedule, crashing into that Western Disturbance. Dimri says the two opposing systems of moisture-laden air "smushed together," into a Frankenstorm that stayed pinned for two days to the southern flank of the Himalayas. Some researchers say similar conditions may have loosed floods that killed 3,000 people in Pakistan and northern India in the summer of 2010. Several recent research papers say that global warming may have set up Kednarath for the disaster, by transforming regional weather patterns and eroding Chorabari Glacier. Western Disturbance storms are becoming more frequent and lasting longer. The monsoon is launching its march across India earlier and traveling faster. Dimri says that global warming may be responsible for this transformation of India's weather. In a 2014 paper , scientists at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology conclude that rapid heating of the high-altitude Tibetan Plateau north of the Himalayas, caused by global warming, is rerouting Western Disturbance storms. The Tibetan Plateau has heated up faster than nearby lowlands. When patterns of heat over Earth's surfaces changes, so do the winds they drive. A team led by researchers at Stanford University has the studied whether global warming made Uttrakhand's drenching month of June 2013 more likely. Using 11 leading computer models, they compared simulations of June rain with and without the last 150 years of burning coal and oil and natural gas. They published their results in a special extreme weather issue of the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society . The paper's lead author, Deepti Singh, a Stanford graduate student, says that of the three models that they trusted most, two showed that the June event was "more likely than it would have been," had humans not heated the planet. Dimri says that though changes in India's weather are undeniable, it's hard prove conclusively that global warming caused them. Weather patterns in the Himalayas are just too complicated. He points to the well-known difficulty of constructing a realistic computer model of the complex and interactive monsoon. However, a study published earlier this year offers new and more certain, evidence of global warming's role in the Kedarnath flood. According to an in the May 2015 issue of the journal Landslides , the heavy rain and melting snow probably wouldn't have breached the lake's bank had the tongue of ice that lays alongside the moraine not receded in recent decades. Chorabari Glacier has been retreating rapidly for at least 50 years. It has lost 11 percent of its surface area, and its tongue has contracted by about one-quarter of a mile since 1962. Other nearby glaciers and many glaciers around the world are in even faster retreat. Indian glaciologists say without hesitation that global warming is responsible for Chorabari's decline. Simon Allen, a researcher at Zurich University and lead author of the Landslides paper says if buttressed by the bigger, healthier tongue of prior decades, the moraine could have withstood more pressure, Chorabari Tal might have survived the storm, and Kedarnath might have suffered far less destruction. Chorabari Tal is only one of scores of lakes that may have been destabilized by receding glaciers in the Himalayas, he says. "We're going to have more of these things."

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Ten years of Kedarnath tragedy: Lessons not learnt and challenges ahead

The himalayan state of uttarakhand remains vulnerable to disasters due to unsustainable development and an increase in pilgrims visiting hindu shrines..

In June 2013, a midday cloudburst in the upper reaches of the Himalayas in Uttarakhand led to flash floods that claimed over 6,000 lives and swept away several settlements, including the one around the Kedarnath shrine, during the height of the pilgrimage season in what has been described as the worst natural disaster the state has ever witnessed.

Also read: Pilgrim influx crosses one million mark at Kedarnath Dham, breaks previous records

Ten years later, the Himalayan state remains extremely vulnerable to disasters exacerbated by unsustainable development. As lessons from the Kedranath tragedy went largely unheeded, the number of pilgrims to the Char Dham Hindu shrines have since increased beyond the carrying capacity of the valleys, experts said.

This year, over a million pilgrims have already visited Kedarnath till the end of June, with about another three months still remaining for the annual pilgrimage. Last year, that number was touched in August.

In 2014, an expert panel constituted by the Supreme Court suggested that authorities should limit the number of pilgrims visiting the four shrines. No more than 5,000 people should be allowed per day in Kedarnath, 6,000 in Badrinath, 3,500 in Yamunotri and around 4,000 in Gangotri, it said.

Prodded by the committee, the Uttarakhand government did impose a daily limit to the four shrines, which are open to pilgrims typically from end April or May to September every year, only to revoke it on April 21 on the eve of the start of the pilgrimage. It had earlier said the daily cap for pilgrims to Yamunotri would be 500, Gangotri 9,000, Badrinath 15,000 and Kedarnath 18,000.

Lessons from the Kedarnath disaster entailed a need for a sustainable and decentralized model of tourism based on the ecological carrying capacity of the fragile Himalayan ecology, said Hemant Dhyani, a noted environmentalist and member of the Supreme Court-appointed panel. “Instead of assessing this, a rampant increase in pilgrim influx is overburdening fragile Himalayan valleys,” Dhyani said.

Need for sustainable development

It is not just the number of pilgrims that are a problem, Dhyani said. Numerous experts opined that the higher Himalayas should be kept free from hydropower interventions, he said. “Despite this, nothing was implemented and, as a result, we witnessed the aggravation of the 2021 Rishi Ganga flood and sinking of the Joshimath area,” Dhyani said.

In February 2021, a glacial burst on Rishi Ganga in Chamoli district claimed 204 lives and nearly swept away parts of a hydropower project being built on the river. In January this year, dangerous cracks developed in several building in Joshimath, the gateway town to the Badrinath shrine, which led the evacuation of several hundreds of residents to safer locations. Many of them are still living in relief camps.

The mountains need a sustainable model of infrastructure development, Dhyani and other experts said.

“Instead of a disaster and climate- resilient approach for infrastructure projects, the Char Dham railways, urbanization and various roads projects are being taken up without keeping in mind the fragility and sensitivity of the Himalayas,” Dhyani said. “Such unsustainable and irresponsible approach is in fact making our Himalayan region more vulnerable to disasters like cloudbursts, flashfloods and landslides.”

In 2014, soon after the Kedarnath tragedy, an expert body set up by the Supreme Court has said hydropower projects should not be built in disaster-prone valleys north of the main central thrust (MCT) line, but the recommendations were not adopted. The hydropower project on the Rishi Ganga and Dhauliganga is located north of the MCT, which is highly prone to landslides, flashfloods and earthquakes. An interministerial group had also recommended in 2014 that such areas should be left pristine.

Rampant and unabated constructions are being undertaken against the opinion of scientists, geologists and experts in Uttarakhand, due to which the precariousness of disaster situations is increasing rapidly, said Anoop Nautiyal, a Dehradun-based social activist.

“Environmental concerns are consistently getting brushed aside in lieu of development plans. The crowds coming to the Himalayas, including Kedarnath, are only increasing. There is a mad scramble to set new pilgrim arrival records,” Nautiyal said. “If the tourism influx and construction are not curbed and not managed properly, a tragedy like 2013 can happen again in Uttarakhand.”

More than 400 villages displaced due to development are awaiting rehabilitation in the state since the government has not managed to resettle them in new locations, Nautiyal claimed. “Landslides, avalanches, earthquakes, land subsidence, and extreme rainfall events are all increasing in intensity across the state. Uttarakhand needs to seriously plan and take care of its carrying capacity,” he said.

“The government should listen to experts and involve them in the policymaking process,” Nautiyal said. “Sustainable and regulated development with concern for future generations is the model that needs to be adopted and implemented.”

Improving forecasts to prevent disasters

The authorities have also been found lacking in putting in place systems that would predict weather phenomenon quickly so that the human cost of disaster can be prevented.

A year after the 2013 tragedy, the then chief secretary Subhash Kumar had held talks with the Indian Meteorological Department for sett up Doppler radars in the state under the Union earth sciences ministry’s Integrated Himalayan Meteorology programme.

It was aimed at improving weather forecast services in the Himalayan states and help in reducing human losses due to extreme weather events. Later, activist Ajay Gautam filed a public interest litigation in 2014, urging the Delhi high court to issue directives to the state government to establish advanced warning systems and Doppler radars.

“Doppler radars help in providing extreme weather data in real-time and help officials in getting warning about storms in any region within two to three hours in advance. The severity of the weather systems can thus be quantitatively estimated more accurately and more precise advance warnings can be generated for saving human lives and property,” Gautam said.

Also read: 8 CRPF personnel on way to Amarnath yatra injured in road accident

Despite the lawsuit and the court’s repeated directions, there were delaying in deploying the radars, Gautam said. Two Doppler radars were set up in the past three years, while the third one is yet to be installed. “Had they been set up early, it would have helped the authorities in the state a lot,” he added.

Two Doppler radars have been installed, one at Mukteshwar in Nainital district in 2021, and another at Surkanda in Tehri Garhwal district in 2022, according to Bikram Singh, director of the weather office’s Dehradun centre. “The third radar will be set up at Lansdowne within the next two to three months,” he said.

The rapidly increasing number of pilgrims during the char dham yatra is a worrying sigh, said geologist Y P Sudriyal, adjunct Professor at HNB Garhwal University. “If it is not managed properly, a tragedy like 2013 can happen again,” he said.

“After the 2013 disaster, we conducted a survey and found that the Kedar valley had a capacity for only 25,000 pilgrims to stay, but that night, there were 40,000 people there. Now this balance has deteriorated further. The road, which was earlier branded as all weather, has now been branded as Char Dham Marg project,” Sudriyal said.

Even 10 years after the Kedarnath tragedy, there are no early warning systems in the higher Himalayan valleys that can alert people downstream to vacate the river areas in case of calamitous events like glacial lake bursts or flashfloods due to landslides. The state government earlier this year said siren systems will be installed at 250 places under the Uttarakhand Multi-Hazard Early Warning System to check losses due to disasters.

Effect of climate change

The climate emergency will only increase the vulnerability to extreme weather events in the Himalayas, experts said. Himalayan glaciers are retreating due to global warming, triggering a host of related phenomenon that require close study. However, there are only around 10 or so glaciers being monitored among over 1,000 glaciers found in Uttarakhand, which include Gangotri, Chorabari , Dunagiri , Dokriyani and Pindari glaciers.

One major reason is the location of these glaciers in remote areas and the lack of enough funding for their regular monitoring, which requires the setting of observatories, sensors and other equipment in the valleys downstream, apart from regular ground surveys.

Besides the climate change factor, it is local factors that are precipitating human losses in extreme weather events, said Anil Joshi, founder of Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation Organization, a Dehradun-based non-profit.

“Climate change and temperature will further aggravate the situation in the Himalayan state with regard to extreme rainfall events and flash floods. We need to have an effective strategy to deal with Kedarnath-like tragedies in the light of climate change, so that human losses can be checked and minimised,” Joshi said.

“In the last two decades, the bearing capacity of many mountains and Himalayan regions in the state has been exhausted,” he said. “People are working and settling in vulnerable areas, which has to stop.”

There are multiple policy dimensions to the unfolding situation in the state, according to Piyoosh Rautela, executive director of the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority.

“Many things have been done in the past 10 years. We have strengthened our system to deal with disasters. Early warning systems have been set up in Dhauli Ganga and Tehri Dam and more will be set up in the coming time,” Rautela said. “But ultimately, it is people who have to be aware and show sensitivity when it comes to creating concrete structures in fragile areas.”

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2013 Kedarnath flood disaster: How a cloudburst killed 6,000 people 9 years ago

Tremendous cloudbursts were the prime reason for the kedarnath flood tragedy. due to its proximity to the surrounding chorabari glacier, the area around the kedarnath temple suffered enormous damage.

In the early hours of June 16, 2013 a flash flood came down upon the overflowing banks of the Chorabari lake in Uttarakhand. Carrying huge amounts of silt and rocks, it destroyed lives, houses and everything else that came its way.

According to figures provided by the Government of Uttarakhand, more than 5,700 people were "presumed dead." This total included 934 local residents. The death toll was later placed at 6,054. Most of the dead were pilgrims.

The upper Himalayan territories of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are full of forests and snow-covered mountains and thus remain relatively inaccessible.

They are home to several major and historic Hindu and Sikh pilgrimage sites besides several tourist spots and trekking trails. Heavy rainfall for four consecutive days as well as melting snow aggravated the floods.

Warnings by the Indian Meteorological Department predicting heavy rains were not given wide publicity beforehand, causing thousands of people to be caught unaware, resulting in huge loss of life and property.

How it happened

Between June 13 and 17, the state of Uttarakhand had received an unusual amount of rainfall. This led to the melting of the Chorabari glacier and the eruption of the Mandakini river. The floods affected large parts of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Western Nepal.

The heavy rainfall caused massive flash floods and landslides resulting in the death of residents and tourists as well as extensive damage to property. Reportedly the worst hit was the Kedarnath valley popular for the 8th century temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.

The flood left behind a death toll of more than 6,000. Ecologist Chandra Prakash Kala notes in a report that “the approximate cost of damaged bridges and roads was $285 million, dam projects worth $ 30 million and loss to state tourism worth $195 million.”

Unplanned development to blame?

None of the environmental laws are implemented in ecologically fragile areas in India and the development is going unabated.

A total of 427 dams are planned to be built on rivers. Among these, there are roughly 70 projects built or proposed on the Ganga, all to generate some 10,000 MW of power. This construction has affected 80% of the Bhagirathi and 65% of the Alaknanda.

More vehicles plying mountain roads

As per data shared by the Uttarakhand State Transport Department, in 2005-06, 83,000- odd vehicles were registered in the state. The figure rose to nearly 180,000 in 2012-13.

Out of this, proportion of cars, jeeps and taxis, which are the most preferred means of transport for tourists landing in the state, increased the most. In 2005-06, 4,000 such vehicles were registered, which jumped to 40,000 in 2012-13.

It is an established fact that there is a straight co-relation between tourism increase and higher incidence of landslides.

Relief efforts by the Indian Armed Forces saved countless lives

Operation Surya Hope is the name that Indian Army’s Central Command gave to its response in Uttarakhand following the June 2013 North India floods.

The Uttarakhand flood was caused by record unseasonal monsoon rains, cloud burst, floods, flash floods, and, possibly, climate change induced glacier lake outburst floods (GLOFs).

The humanitarian disaster affected millions, stranded over 100,000 pilgrims and tourist inHimalayan religious sites, and killed several thousand people.

Operation Surya Hope was conducted by Indian Army's Lucknow based Central Command. Surya or Sun, is the emblem of the Central Command, and features prominently on the Command's formation sign, and flag, which is probably why Central Command chose to name Indian Army's largest ever humanitarian mission as Operation Surya Hope.

The Indian Air Force, the Indian Army, and paramilitary troops evacuated more than 110,000 people from the flood-ravaged area.

Lessons learnt

A study by Utah State University analyzed the natural and anthropogenic influences on the climate anomalies using simulations, and found that:

(a) northern India has experienced increasingly large rainfall in June since the late 1980s,

(b) the increase in rainfall appears to be associated with a tendency in the upper troposphere towards amplified short waves, and

(c) the phasing of such amplified short waves is tied to increased loading of green-house gases and aerosols. In addition, a regional modeling diagnosis attributed 60–90 % of rainfall amounts in the June 2013 event to post-1980 climate trends.

Unprecedented destruction the rainfall witnessed in Uttarakhand state was also attributed, by environmentalists, to unscientific developmental activities undertaken in recent decades contributing to high level of loss of property and lives.

Roads constructed in haphazard style, new resorts and hotels built on fragile river and more than 70 hydroelectric projects in the watersheds of the state led to a "disaster waiting to happen" as termed by certain environmentalists.

The environmental experts reported that the tunnels built and blasts undertaken for the 70 hydro electric projects contributed to the ecological imbalance in the state, with flows of river water restricted and the streamside development activity contributing to a higher number of landslides and more flooding.

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Kedarnath Floods of 2013: A Tale of Tragedy and Triumph

The 2013 Uttarakhand floods , often referred to as the Kedarnath disaster, remain etched in the memory of India as one of the most devastating natural calamities in recent history. This article revisits the tragedy, shedding light on the causes, the impact, and the lessons learned to ensure such a catastrophe never repeats .

The Catastrophe Unfolds

In June 2013, the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand experienced unprecedented rainfall, leading to massive floods and landslides. The town of Kedarnath, known for its sacred Shiva temple, was one of the worst affected areas. The deluge, triggered by a combination of cloudbursts, glacial melts, and river overflow, resulted in widespread destruction, taking thousands of lives and leaving many more homeless.

Key Causes of the Kedarnath Floods of 2013

• Unprecedented Rainfall : The state received over 375% more rainfall than usual, causing rivers to swell beyond their capacities.
• Cloudbursts : Sudden, heavy downpours significantly contributed to the flooding and landslides.
• Melting Glaciers : Unseasonal warm temperatures led to accelerated melting of glaciers, adding to the water levels in rivers.
• Environmental Degradation : Deforestation, unplanned construction, and other human activities had already weakened the region’s natural ability to cope with heavy rains.

The Devastation

The impact of the floods was catastrophic. Thousands lost their lives, and many more were left stranded without food, water, or shelter. The Kedarnath temple, though largely undamaged, was surrounded by debris, and the surrounding town was almost completely destroyed. Infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and buildings, was severely damaged, isolating affected areas and hampering rescue efforts.

Rescue and Relief Operations

The Indian Army, Air Force, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and various local agencies launched one of the largest rescue operations in the country’s history. Despite challenging weather and terrain, these brave individuals worked tirelessly to rescue stranded pilgrims and residents, provide medical aid, and restore communication and transportation links.

Aftermath and Rehabilitation

In the wake of the disaster, the focus shifted to rehabilitation and rebuilding. The government, along with various NGOs and international aid organizations, undertook extensive efforts to rebuild homes, restore infrastructure, and provide psychological support to the affected populace. The disaster also spurred significant policy changes aimed at improving disaster preparedness and response.

Key Rehabilitation Initiatives

• Infrastructure Rebuilding : Construction of more resilient infrastructure to withstand future calamities.
• Disaster Management Policies : Implementation of better forecasting systems and stricter environmental regulations.
• Community Support : Providing mental health support and economic assistance to rebuild livelihoods.

Lessons Learned

The 2013 Uttarakhand floods served as a grim reminder of the delicate balance between human activity and nature. Key lessons include:

• Importance of Sustainable Development : Ensuring that development projects do not compromise the environment’s ability to handle natural disasters.
• Enhanced Early Warning Systems : Investing in technology to predict and prepare for such events can save countless lives.
• Community Preparedness : Educating and preparing local communities to respond effectively in case of emergencies.

Remembering the 2013 Uttarakhand floods is crucial for understanding the devastating impact of natural disasters and the importance of preparedness and sustainable living. As we honor the memory of those lost, it is imperative to continue working towards a future where such tragedies are mitigated through informed action and resilience.

1. What caused the 2013 Uttarakhand floods? The floods were caused by a combination of unprecedented rainfall, cloudbursts, glacial melting, and environmental degradation.

2. How was Kedarnath affected by the floods? Kedarnath faced massive destruction, with significant loss of life and damage to infrastructure, although the temple itself remained largely intact.

3. What measures have been taken post-disaster? Post-disaster measures include rebuilding infrastructure, implementing better disaster management policies, and supporting affected communities.

4. Why is it important to remember the 2013 Uttarakhand floods? Remembering the floods is important for learning from the past, improving disaster preparedness, and promoting sustainable development to prevent future calamities.

By reflecting on the events of 2013, we can honor the resilience of those affected and work towards creating safer, more sustainable communities.

Read also : Tragic Accident on Badrinath Highway Claims 8 Lives

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Landslides triggered by the June 2013 extreme rainfall event in parts of Uttarakhand state, India

• Recent Landslides
• Published: 25 November 2014
• Volume 12 , pages 135–146, ( 2015 )

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• Tapas R. Martha 1 ,
• Priyom Roy 1 ,
• K. Babu Govindharaj 1 ,
• K. Vinod Kumar 1 ,
• P. G. Diwakar 1 &
• V. K. Dadhwal 1  

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Extreme rainfall during 15–17 of June 2013 triggered numerous landslides and caused widespread damage and loss of life in the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda river valleys, with Kedarnath town bearing the brunt of the disaster. In this paper, we present a corroboration of observations gathered from very high resolution satellite data which indicated that two events in close succession caused damage to the Kedarnath town. While the flooding on June 16, 2013 was due to the reactivation of an old landslide that resulted in breaching of the river training wall, breaching of the moraine dammed Chorabari lake on June 17, 2013 caused further flooding and damage to the Kedarnath town. We also prepared a detailed landslide inventory using multi-temporal Resourcesat-2 images (5.8 m) acquired before and after the event in order to avoid issues related to cloud and shadow. A total of 6,013 landslides were mapped, out of which 3,472 landslides with 30.4 km 2 area were classified as new ones, 1,137 landslides with 9.1 km 2 area were classified as old ones and 1,401 landslides with 11.7 km 2 area were classified as reactivated ones. The frequency-area statistics of the mapped landslides shows near completeness of this event-based landslide inventory. The debris brought down by rivers from these landslides, particularly from the glaciated deposits in upstream areas, caused severe river bank erosion in downstream areas.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the DSC team and NDC, NRSC for providing necessary input data. Dr. Ajanta Goswami, Scientist, IIRS/ISRO, Dehradun is thanked for support during the fieldwork and sharing few ground photographs.

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Tapas R. Martha, Priyom Roy, K. Babu Govindharaj, K. Vinod Kumar, P. G. Diwakar & V. K. Dadhwal

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Martha, T.R., Roy, P., Govindharaj, K.B. et al. Landslides triggered by the June 2013 extreme rainfall event in parts of Uttarakhand state, India. Landslides 12 , 135–146 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-014-0540-7

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Received : 13 August 2014

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Issue Date : February 2015

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-014-0540-7

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Kedarnath disaster 2013: causes and consequences using remote sensing inputs

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10 years of Kedarnath tragedy: A retrospection

In june 2013 a devastating flood in kedarnath in uttarakhand had claimed about 6000 lives and damaged properties amounting to crores. the main day of the flood was 16 june 2013.

New Delhi: Ten years have passed after the disastrous Kedarnath tragedy. The floods at Kedarnath in the year 2013 had devastated the area claiming huge number of deaths and damaging property worth crores. However, after 10 years it is now being discussed, whether the area is still fragile? Within this 10 years have necessary steps been taken to check or fight such tragedy in future? It is to be noted that in June 2013 a devastating flood in Kedarnath area in Uttarakhand had claimed as many as 6000 lives and damaging properties amounting to crores. The main day of the flood was 16 June 2013.

Reportedly, the subsequent years following this tragedy was also not very much favourable in this region. A series of flash floods and landslides have occurred in this region for which the residents of this mountainous terrain have faced much difficulties.

Experts have come up with the most probable reasons why such disasters have frequented this area. The first reason attributed to the cause is the large-scale construction. Even, reportedly constructions have been take up in environmentally fragile regions of the state. Besides, huge unregulated tourism in the state has also contributing to this reason. Again, limited amount of disaster management in Uttarakhand might be another reason in this nexus, say reports.

Scientific reason behind Kedarnath floods 2013

As per a study taken up by the Utah State University northern India has experienced increasingly large rainfall in June since the late 1980s.

It is most probably due to rainfall which seems to be associated with a tendency in the upper troposphere towards amplified short waves, leading to loading of green-house gases and aerosols. Besides, a regional modeling diagnosis attributed 60–90 % of rainfall amounts in the June 2013 event to post-1980 climate trends.

It is to be noted that following the land cracking and sinking issues in Joshimath, a plea was filed in the Supreme Court raising the failure of Centre and state governments in assessing the “carrying capacity or bearing capacity” of the ecological fragile Indian Himalayan region.

The plea claimed this region, which is spread across 13 states/Union Territories (UTs), is facing issues of unsustainable and hydrologically disastrous constructions – home stays, hotels, and commercial accommodations — hydropower projects and unregulated tourism, which has allegedly collapsed the drainage and waste management system.

The plea filed by Ashok Kumar Raghav, which was argued by advocate Akash Vashishtha before a bench headed by the then Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, said the governments — in the Indian Himalayan Region, spread across 13 states/UTs –have failed in preparing and implementing the master plans/tourism plans/lay-out/area development/zonal plans, and also failed to the “carrying capacity or bearing capacity of ecologically fragile areas,” which is home to nearly 50 million people.

The region includes: Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Sikkim, Nagaland, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh.

It further added that due to non-existent carrying/bearing capacity studies, grave geological hazards in the form of landslides, land subsidence, land cracking and sinking issues such as that in Joshimath and previously as flash floods/glacial bursts in Kedarnath (2013) and Chamoli (2021), are being witnessed and serious ecological and environmental depredation is taking place in the hills.

In June 2013, a mid-day cloudburst centered on the North Indian state of Uttarakhand caused devastating floods and landslides, becoming the country’s worst natural disaster since the 2004 tsunami. The rainfall received that month was far greater than the rainfall the state usually received. Debris blocked the rivers, causing major overflow. The main day of the flood was 16 June 2013.

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