Why kedarnath disaster happened

And it vanished away everything that came in between their way. When we talk about Kedarnath flood story and reason, then one of the major reasons for the flash flood was a glacier lake. Due to continuous raining 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. 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. The districts of Bageshwar, Chamoli, Pithoragarh, Rudraprayag, and Uttarkashi were the worst affected areas. A large population of several areas was cut off across the state.

And they suffered a lot due to the shortage of essential commodities. This horrific incident was the part of the North India Flood. It affected Villages and caused more than deaths. This is the government data, so the real death count could be more than 10, deaths.

The extensive volume of water-induced erosion along all the river valley which turn 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 though most parts of the 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. During the flash flood, a huge boulder rock fell from the mountain and stood itself 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 destroyed everything that came in their path. Even eyewitness 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.

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 the destructive floods.

This stone is now known as Bhim Shila. People believe that God has saved them which seems very true. And as nobody knows where it came from and how every boulder swept away except this great big boulder.

The sight of huge torrents of water and sludge and loud noises due to it caused panic in nearby villages, PTI reported. Rakesh Dhimri, another resident of the same village, was among those who rushed out of their houses in fear. He was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times , "The first thing that came to my mind after seeing the swollen river was the Kedarnath tragedy which swallowed thousands of lives.

My family and I were just praying to God to protect us from similar possible tragedy. Fortunately, we were saved but the workers on the dam site were not so lucky. While the tragedy on Sunday has claimed ten lives till now, the glacier burst does not seem to have wrecked the kind of devastation that was seen in Nevertheless, efforts are on to trace people who are presently missing.

In that year, the banks of the Chorabari lake in Kedarnath collapsed due to a cloudburst that had resulted in a major flash flood. Pilgrims will enter the pit, circumambulate the statue and exit from another gate towards the Bhairon temple.

A space for doing meditation near the statue is also being constructed inside the pit. In June , the bursting of the Chorabari lake, above Kedarnath, was considered the main cause for the mass destruction caused by the floods.

As the floods hit Mandakini valley, the lake water mixed with debris and boulders caused widespread destruction in the temple town. The geologist identified four major ways in which constructions flouted scientific norms. The seismic faultlines of this earthquake-prone state were not kept in mind while building roads. More dangerously, roads are built along the faultlines at many places.

Drainage was neglected. Buildings have been constructed over old drains and streams, blocking the natural pathways of rainwater. Another transgression was construction on river flood ways. Refrain from posting comments that are obscene, defamatory or inflammatory, and do not indulge in personal attacks, name calling or inciting hatred against any community. Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines by marking them offensive. Let's work together to keep the conversation civil.

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As the downside of the landslide was active and prone to erosions, it created a further accumulation of debris downstream. The amount and flow of debris was so high, that the boulders did not stop at Kedarnath and were carried to Rambara village and beyond.

Heavy rainfall that occurred in the area at the same time formed a small lake in the north-west of the valley. Under normal circumstances, the water would have flowed away.

But a block formed by debris led to the accumulation of water. When extreme pressure caused a breach in the boundary of the lake, a large amount of water gushed out, forcing another rock to flow away.

This created a new stream, in addition to the two streams that existed already. The amount of water, moraines and debris was high enough to increase the level of the biggest stream in the west, create a new stream in between, and increase water level substantially in the eastern stream.

However, it is now confirmed that the disaster was not caused by GLOF, but indeed by a combination of factors,namely early rainfall, movement of southwest monsoon winds, and the formation of a temporary lake. Uttarakhand received rain early this year. The monsoon reached the state almost two weeks in advance. These early rains coupled with other factors were responsible for the disaster that ensued.

Rivers in the region already have heavier flow in June than at other times of the year because of the seasonal melting of glaciers. When water falls on ice, it melts faster; and as it rained on the glaciers of the state, the massive run-off began to swell the rivers. An analysis of rainfall data for the past five years, available on the website of the India Meteorological Department, points to changes in rainfall trends in India, with a greater number of incidents of excess rain in Uttarakhand in June.

The trends in rainfall do not indicate the kind of disastrous rainfall the state received this year, but it does point to the necessity for a robust disaster management programme, which as of now does not exist in the state.

The areas of Uttarakhand affected by the recent floods, particularly Uttarkashi, have experienced excess rains in June for the past several years. Last year, there was a rainfall deficit in the same month across the state. But data for the preceding five years indicates a trend towards excess rainfall in June.

District-wise rainfall trends in Uttarakhand from to In , Uttarkashi received per cent excess rainfall compared to the long period average LPA.

The corresponding figures for , and are 26 per cent, 31 per cent and 98 per cent. Chamoli received 57 per cent excess rainfall in June in , 18 per cent in and 59 per cent in