It might tip over a mass of rock and particles, thereby impeding ongoing rescue operations
A contemporary pool of water could also be increase within the Rishi Ganga river that might tip over a mass of rock and particles, thereby impeding ongoing rescue operations in Uttarakhand.
Geologist Naresh Rana of the the HNB Gadhwal University, Srinagar Gadhwal, Uttarakhand, in a report from Reni village, mentioned that the stream of the Rishi Ganga river had been blocked by rock and particles — forming a kind of pure dam — and this might doubtlessly roll down and impede ongoing aid operations. The top of this dam and the collected mass of water is unknown.
The particles is from the avalanche on Sunday that had resulted from the breaking of a big portion of rock and ice from the Raunthi peak, that when mixed with snow soften and, probably, an collected pool of water, had hurtled down the Raunthi stream and avalanched, resulting in the destruction of two hydropower crops and the trapping and killing of workmen on the Tapovan hydropower mission. The Raunthi stream has a confluence with the Rishi Ganga and Sunday’s disaster noticed the avalanche hurtle from the confluence down the principle stem of the Rishi Ganga.
Dr. Rana has shared video clips, which had been aired on NDTV-India on Thursday, the place he’s seen on the confluence of the Rishi Ganga river and the Raunthi stream (from the place the glacier avalanche progressed). “It is clearly visible from here that because of the flooding, the Rishi Ganga has been dammed. I don’t know when, but at some point, this [natural dam] will be breached and could cause another flood, and so the workers downstream need to be warned and prepared.”
Dr. Rana’s telephone was unreachable however The Hindu contacted Navin Juyal, a geologist, who had accompanied Dr. Rana and was with him till February 6 (a day earlier than the disaster), as half of a geological expedition. Dr. Juyal confirmed the authenticity of the clips and instructed The Hindu that whereas the hazard of flooding existed, it was unlikely to be of the magnitude seen on Sunday.
“Because it’s winter, there’s very little water that has been stopped. I heard from another colleague on the ground that already water from the Rishi Ganga has started to flow from the top of the dam. We have also informed State and disaster response authorities and they tell us they are aware of the situation and are taking appropriate action,” Dr. Juyal mentioned.
A senior of official of the National Disaster Response Force independently instructed The Hindu that the pool was 8 km above Raini and was being independently examined by scientists from the Defence Research and Development Organisation.
While a number of scientist groups have made their means in the direction of the higher Himalayas, no one has been capable of attain the spot on foot as a result of a connecting bridge has been destroyed. A couple of aerial surveys have been carried out however there’s nonetheless uncertainty on what triggered the rock to interrupt off and set off an avalanche. All data of the occasions thus far are from the evaluation of satellite tv for pc imagery.
The disaster has evoked the curiosity of a number of worldwide groups of geologists who’re poring over pictures making an attempt to establish whether or not there are glacial lakes that will have fed the avalanche. So far, the consensus is that occasions of February 7 weren’t as a consequence of a glacial lake being breached, and sure as a consequence of an enormous mass of snow, ice and mountain particles coalescing and hurtling down a stream.
(With inputs from Devesh Pandey)
