Tag: Disaster management

Joshimath in Jeopardy: Experts Suggest Remote Sensing Mapping for Disaster-prone Uttarakhand

The Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG) has suggested a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) – a remote sensing method – to examine the surface in disaster-prone Himalayan state Uttarakhand. This has been recommended in a study report to examine the cause behind cracks that appeared across Joshimath – a tiny town en route to the Badrinath shrine.

“It is of utmost importance that LiDAR topographic mapping is done for the state. Planning of management and mitigation is convenient if bare-ground topography and the surface models are available to planners and decision makers,” said the report prepared by 10 scientists considered experts in Himalayan geology.

In January, more than 750 houses in Joshimath reported wide cracks, leading to panic and chaos. Further, cracks also appeared in the agricultural fields. Moreover, several establishments witnessed water oozing out of the ground. The Pushkar Singh Dhami government then ordered a study by expert institutes to ascertain reasons and recommend suggestions to prevent such cracks.

Scientists from Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS), Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee (IIT-R), Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG), Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), National Institute of Hydrology (NIH), Geological Survey of India (GSI), and National Geophysical Institute (NGI) conducted research and study and have submitted separate reports to the Uttarakhand government.

CONSTRUCTION IN SPRING WATER ZONE
Most of the reports have blamed unchecked construction over the past few years in Joshimath, particularly in the spring water zones, and loose debris for the sinking of the land.

“Construction of buildings in spring zone did cessation of spring flow. Cessation of spring flow increases the pore pressure which ultimately rendered the burst of ground water in form of spring,” mentions a report by CGWB.

The report recommends that “construction activities in spring zone area should be immediately stopped. Emergence point of the springs which are covered with any concrete material should be cleared”. It adds that “trench along with the retention wall may be constructed at different topographic level so that ground water pressure may be dissipated”.

The Geological Survey of India underlined that the majority of the ground cracks, irrespective of their orientation, are located in areas that are densely populated and loaded with multistoried buildings.

“The other areas where it is scanty or no habitation has so far not been affected by the recent event,” said the GSI report, clearly suggesting that heavy construction is one of the reasons behind the sinking of Joshimath.

HYDROPOWER PROJECT GETS CLEAN CHIT
Interestingly, there has been widespread debate on whether tunnel boring machines used in the under-construction 520-megawatt Tapovan Vishnugad Hydropower Project led to the cracks on the surface. The GSI report refuted such claims. It said 8.5 km of the 12 km-long tunnel had been excavated through drill machines and no blasting was done.

“Prima-facie the very question of any blast-induced damages attributing to the current situation is very unlikely,” the report mentions.

Besides, the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing concluded based on satellite imagery that subsidence in Joshimath may be due to the toe-cutting phenomenon, or slope instability as a result of seepage of local drainage water in the soil.

 

Source: https://www.news18.com/india/joshimath-in-jeopardy-experts-suggest-remote-sensing-mapping-for-disaster-prone-uttarakhand-8591547.html

Himachal CM requests ‘national disaster’ tag after heavy rains: Who funds disaster relief in India?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu at the Gala Dinner during the G20 Summit, in New Delhi, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023. (Photo: PTI)

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare the destruction caused by heavy rains in the state a national disaster.

In a post on X on September 10, he said: “Had the privilege of addressing the grave aftermath of torrential rains in Himachal Pradesh during my conversation with Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji after our G20 Summit dinner. I also requested a special disaster relief package and emphasised the need to designate this calamity as a ‘national disaster’, highlighting the urgency of the situation.”

States affected by natural disasters often make such requests to the Centre. Demands for special relief packages are also made. What is the basis of such demands and how does the Centre determine the scale of assistance that it provides?

First, why is Himachal Pradesh demanding assistance?

Sukhu has said that Himachal Pradesh suffered losses of Rs 10,000 crore due to rain-related incidents this monsoon. He demanded that the calamity be declared a national disaster and a special disaster package be announced, PTI reported.

According to the state emergency operation centre, 418 people have died (265 in rain-related incidents and 153 in road accidents) since the onset of monsoon on June 24 till September 9, while 39 are missing.

How are states assisted during natural disasters?

There is no official or defined category of “national disasters”. Disasters of this nature come under the 2005 Disaster Management Act, which defines a “disaster” as “a catastrophe, mishap, calamity or grave occurrence in any area, arising from natural or man made causes, or by accident or negligence which results in substantial loss of life or human suffering or damage to, and destruction of, property, or damage to, or degradation of, environment, and is of such a nature or magnitude as to be beyond the coping capacity of the community of the affected area”.

The Act saw the creation of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), to be headed by the Prime Minister, and State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs) headed by respective Chief Ministers. Together with district-level authorities, an integrated Disaster Management setup was to be created in India.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/himachal-rains-how-is-disaster-relief-funded-in-india-8935424/

Greece discovers 18 charred bodies as southern Europe wildfires spread

Eighteen charred bodies were found in a remote village in northeastern Greece on Tuesday where wildfires have been raging for days, authorities said, as a heatwave that has seen red alerts issued across southern Europe turned deadly.

Firefighters said they were investigating whether the bodies, found near a shack south of the village of Avantas, were migrants. The surrounding Evros region is a popular route for migrants from the Middle East and Asia crossing from Turkey.

In the Greek port town of Alexandroupolis nearby, dozens of hospital patients were evacuated onto a ferry, while a blaze on the foothills of Mount Parnitha sent thick clouds of smoke over the capital Athens.

In Spain, Italy and Portugal, firefighters were battling blazes as the region suffered hot, dry and windy conditions that scientists have linked to climate change.

Temperatures in many areas were expected to reach or exceed 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), forecasters said. Italy and France declared red alerts in a number of areas.

The latest heatwave comes after a torrid July that was the hottest month on record. Some 20,000 people were evacuated on the Greek island of Rhodes in mid-July and a severe fire hit Spain’s Canary island of La Palma.

Blazes on Hawaii’s Maui island earlier this month killed more than 110 people, while Canada this week deployed the military in its westernmost province of British Columbia to tackle fast-spreading fires.

In Greece, gale-force winds complicated efforts to control the fires. Fifty-six firefighters arrived in Greece from Romania on Tuesday and Athens was expecting further assistance from the Czech Republic, Croatia, Germany and Sweden.

HOSPITAL EVACUATION

The 18 bodies were found south of the village of Avantas near the vast Dadia forest, authorities said. Another body thought to belong to a migrant was found on Monday, in a rural area some 40 km (25 miles) away.

“The possibility that these are people who entered the country illegally is being investigated,” the fire brigade said. It said searches were ongoing.

In Alexandroupolis, not far from Avantas, wildfires forced the evacuation of dozens of hospital patients, including newborn babies. A ferry was turned into a makeshift hospital after 65 patients were evacuated from the University Hospital.

“I’ve been working for 27 years, I’ve never seen anything like this,” said nurse Nikos Gioktsidis. “Stretchers everywhere, patients here, IV drips there … it was like a war, like a bomb had exploded.”

Flames burn a tree as a wildfire rages in Alexandroupolis, on the region of Evros, Greece, August 22. REUTERS/Alexandros Avramidis

Fires also broke out on Tuesday near Athens, where a blaze on the city’s outskirts, on the foothills of Mount Parnitha, burned homes and forced residents to flee.

“The winds are very strong … It is a very difficult firefighting task. God help us,” said Sotiris Masouris, a 50-year-old resident of Hasia, west of Athens.

WILDFIRES HIT SPAIN, ITALY

In Spain, where most of the country was in very high or extreme risk of wildfire amid the summer’s fourth heatwave, authorities were struggling to stabilise a huge wildfire that has been ravaging forests on the island of Tenerife for a week.

The blaze has burned through 15,000 hectares in 12 municipalities, forcing the evacuation of thousands of people.

In neighbouring Portugal, authorities placed more than 120 municipalities in the north and central areas, as well as in some parts of the Algarve – a popular holiday destination in the south – at maximum risk of wildfires due to the heat.

More than 100 firefighters backed by 10 aircraft were battling a wildfire that erupted on Monday night in the northern Portuguese city of Baião.

In Italy, around 700 people were evacuated after a fire broke out on Monday on the Tuscan island of Elba, firefighter Alessandro Vitaliano told Reuters. No casualties have been reported.

Italy issued hot weather red alerts in 16 of the country’s 27 main cities on Tuesday, including Rome, Milan and Florence, with the number set to rise on Wednesday.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/wildfires-rage-greece-spain-italy-heatwave-spreads-2023-08-22

At least 27 die in inferno at petrol station in Dagestan southern Russia

At least 27 people have been killed in an explosion and fire at a petrol station in Dagestan in southern Russia.

The blast occurred in the regional capital Makhachkala, which sits on the coast of the Caspian Sea, at 21:40 local time (18:40 GMT).

Dozens of other people were injured in the incident, the cause of which is not yet clear.

Pictures showed a large fire lighting up the night sky and a number of fire engines at the scene.

Some 260 emergency workers have been deployed, as has an aircraft to evacuate the seriously injured to Moscow, the ministry said.

Russia’s Interfax news agency quoted doctors as saying three children were among the dead.

It added that the fire had spread over an area of 600 sq m (6,460 sq ft) and that there was a danger of further explosions.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66505961

Canadian province of Alberta declares wildfire emergency

A fire burning near Lodgepole, Alberta

Alberta has declared a state of emergency after wildfires spread across the western Canadian province, driving nearly 25,000 people from their homes.

Faced with more than 100 wildfires, Alberta’s Premier Danielle Smith called the situation “unprecedented”.

Residents of Edson, a town of more than 8,000, were told to leave immediately.

Ms Smith said a hot, dry spring had created “so much kindling” and some 122,000 hectares (301,000 acres) had burned so far.

Many of the fires are burning out of control, fanned by strong winds.

The worst-hit areas include Drayton Valley, about 140km (87 miles) west of the provincial capital Edmonton, and Fox Lake, some 550km north of the city, where 20 homes were consumed by fire.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65515446

7 Killed, 40 Injured After 100-Year-Old Tree Falls On Tin Shed In Maharashtra’s Akola

The incident took place when a religious ceremony was being organised in front of a temple at around 7pm on Sunday. Heavy rainfall, coupled with strong winds, caused the huge neem tree to fall on a tin shed under which scores of devotees were taking shelter.

Tree falls on tin shed in Akola (Representative image)

At least seven people were killed and more than 40 others were injured after a huge tree fell on a tin shed following heavy rainfall in Paras village of Balapur tehsil in Maharashtra’s Akola district on Sunday evening.
The incident took place when a religious ceremony was being organised in front of a temple at around 7pm on Sunday. Heavy rainfall, coupled with strong winds, caused the huge neem tree to fall on a tin shed under which scores of devotees were taking shelter.

More than 40 people were buried under the shed and sustained injuries while seven others lost their lives in the accident. Five people were admitted to Akola Medical College where their treatment is underway. Soon after receiving information, police teams and ambulances rushed to the spot to initiate rescue and relief work. JCB machines were pressed into service to lift the broken tree and the collapsed shed.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis condoled the deaths and announced that the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government will provide financial assistance to the families of those killed.
“It is painful to report that some devotees were killed when a tree fell on a tin shed when some people had gathered for a religious ceremony at Paras in Akola district. I pay my humble respects to them,” he shared on social media.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/india/7-killed-40-injured-after-100-year-old-tree-falls-on-tin-shed-in-maharashtras-akola-article-99366872

Sikkim Avalanche: 7 Killed in Nathula, 12 Injured; MHA Takes Stock of Situation, Search Op Resumes

The avalanche occurred around 12:20 pm at the 14th milestone on Jawaharlal Nehru Marg. (Photo: News18)

At least seven tourists were killed and 12 others injured in a major avalanche in Sikkim’s Nathula area on Tuesday. As many as 20 people have been rescued so far and the search operation has resumed today.

“By 3 PM, 14 persons were rescued and taken to nearby Army medical facility. However, seven persons succumbed. The other seven persons were administered first aid and returned to Gangtok,” Indian Army said.

The District Magistrate of Gangtok informed that rescue operations have been called off and there is no more requirement of the NDRF. He said that twelve injured are undergoing treatment.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled deaths and wished speedy recover to injured.

“Distressed by the avalanche in Sikkim. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. I hope the injured recover soon. Rescue ops are underway and all possible assistance is being provided to those affected,” PMO tweeted quoting the PM.

Expressing condolences, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that his ministry is closely monitoring the situation.

“My sincerest condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives in the tragic avalanche in Sikkim. We are closely monitoring the situation and the teams of NDRF will reach the affected area soon. I pray for the speedy recovery of those injured,” Shah tweeted.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed condolences over the incident.

“Saddened by the loss of precious lives due to an avalanche in East Sikkim. Search and Rescue Ops are being carried out by the Indian Army, SDRF and other agencies. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured,” he tweeted.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/massive-avalanche-sikkim-tourists-feared-trapped-snow-indian-army-rescue-operations-7464199.html

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