Instability processes triggered by heavy rain in the Garhwal Region, Uttarakhand, India

Abstract

On 16 and 17 June 2013, high-intensity rainfall (>400 mm) in different parts of the state of Uttarakhand caused devastating flash floods and triggered widespread landslides incurring heavy losses to the infrastructure, agricultural fields, human and animal lives, roads and widespread destruction of natural resources. Such a magnitude of disaster was perhaps not witnessed by the region at least over the last 100 years. Thus, this disaster can be considered as an extreme climatic event of the century. The extent and intensity of the tragedy can easily be visualised by the fact that all the famous shrines of the Uttarakhand state, located in high mountainous, snow-bound areas such as Badrinath (3133 m asl on Alaknanda River), Kedarnath (3584 m asl on Mandakini River), Gangotri (3140 m asl on Bhagirathi River), Yamunotri (3291 m asl on Yamuna River) and Hemkund Sahib (4433 m asl on Alaknanda River), were badly affected by this extreme fury of the nature.