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Indian Express
3 days ago
- Climate
- Indian Express
Kishtwar flash flood: How climate change has contributed to extreme weather events in J&K
At least 65 people have been killed after torrential rain triggered a flash flood at a remote village in Jammu & Kashmir's Kishtwar district on Thursday. The incident took place at Chasoti, the last motorable village on the way to the Machail Mata temple. More than 50 people are missing. While experts hesitate to attribute a single extreme weather event solely to climate change, they point out that flash floods and wildfires are becoming more frequent and intense due to the global rise in temperatures and changes in weather patterns. In J&K as elsewhere, the incidence of extreme weather events has increased with rising average temperatures, leading to the deaths of thousands of people in recent years. Between 2010 and 2022, J&K witnessed 2,863 extreme weather events in which 552 deaths were reported, according to a 2024 study, 'Extreme weather events induced mortalities in Jammu and Kashmir, India during 2010-2022', published in Mausam, the quarterly journal of the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The analysis was carried out by IMD scientists Mukhtar Ahmed, Sonam Lotus, Farooq Ahmad Bhat, Amir Hassan Kichloo, and Shivinder Singh, with Bappa Das, a researcher at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. During these 12 years, thunderstorms — characterised by strong winds accompanied by lightning and sometimes precipitation — and heavy rain occurred frequently. While there were 1,942 instances of thunderstorms, heavy rain — defined as an incident in which a weather station receives 64.5-115.5 mm of rain in 24 hours — took place 409 times, the study said. Other frequent extreme weather events included flash floods (triggered by intense rainfall over a very short duration) and landslides, which occurred 168 and 186 times respectively. While there were just 42 instances of heavy snow (when a station receives more than 30 cm of snowfall in 24 hours) during this period, they killed 182 people, the heaviest toll extracted by any extreme weather event. The number of deaths due to flash floods, heavy rain, and landslides were 119, 111, and 71 respectively. The analysis also showed that the largest number of deaths due to flash floods occurred in Kishtwar (where Thursday's disaster occurred), Anantnag, Ganderbal, and Doda. The study noted that 'for the union territory as a whole, heavy rain and heavy snow have been two major disasters causing mortality, though flash floods, thunderstorms and windstorms are gaining importance'. Although several factors contribute to the occurrence of extreme weather events in J&K, the three significant drivers behind these events are rising temperatures, the changing pattern of Western Disturbances, and the region's topography. RISING TEMPERATURES: J&K is located in the western Himalayas, a region that has experienced a two-fold increase in temperature compared to the Indian subcontinent as a whole post-2000 ('Delving into Recent Changes in Precipitation Patterns over the Western Himalayas in a Global Warming Era', Global Warming — A Concerning Component of Climate Change, 2023). Due to this, the western Himalayas have witnessed increased mean and extreme precipitation. This is because warmer temperatures allow the atmosphere to hold more water vapour — for every 1-degree-Celsius rise in average temperature, the atmosphere can hold about 7% more moisture. This leads to an increase in precipitation intensity, duration, and/or frequency, which ultimately causes severe flooding. Also, increased temperatures have shrunk glaciers in the region, resulting in an increase in the number of glacial lakes. Their water, when released, can cause major flooding in downstream areas. Mahesh Palawat, who works with Skymet Weather Services, told Climate Trends, a Delhi-based climate research organisation, on Friday, 'Since these lakes are not centuries old, the glacial lake edges are very unstable and prone to erosion, melting, and sudden failures. Whenever there is a spell of heavy rain, water tends to overflow and bring down slush and unconsolidated sediment, causing more damage downstream.' CHANGING NATURE OF WESTERN DISTURBANCES: Experts suggest that J&K could be witnessing more flash floods and rain due to global warming-induced changes in the nature of western disturbances. These are east-moving rain-bearing wind systems that originate beyond Afghanistan and Iran, and pick up moisture from the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, Caspian Sea and Arabian Sea. While western disturbances are most common during the boreal winter months (December to March), they have now begun to impact weather outside the winter season. This has increased the risk of floods and heavy rain in India's Himalayan states. In May, Dr K J Ramesh, a former director general of meteorology at IMD, said: 'Global warming has led to rapid warming of the Arabian Sea, which then emits more moisture northwards… When the amplitude of western disturbances extends up to the North Arabian Sea, more moisture is fed into the system, resulting in intense weather activity over the hills.' TOPOGRAPHY: J&K's hilly terrain makes it more vulnerable to extreme weather events. Sachchida Nand Tripathi, dean of Kotak School of Sustainability at IIT-Kanpur, told Climate Trends, 'Topographically, the Himalayas comprise a series of diverse hill ranges that have a profound effect on weather patterns. One major factor is orographic rainfall — when moist air is forced to rise over the mountains, cooling and condensing into heavy precipitation.'
Time of India
04-07-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
‘Community-driven action in villages can help avoid such deaths'
In just the first five months of this year, 49 people were killed in lightning strikes across the state and not a single one of these deaths have taken place inside a concrete building, thus, indicating that perhaps most of these deaths are avoidable. While there are apps like Damini, Sachet and Mausam which monitor lightning activity and accordingly, send alerts so that people can take shelter, villagers - who often form a majority of such deaths - do not own smartphones and thus, such measures do not protect them. In such situations, one needs localized and community-driven action to protect people from getting struck by lightning. Most lightning deaths take place when people are standing under trees during a storm, working in fields, grazing cattle and taking shelter inside temporary structures. Thus, one should steer clear of trees, water bodies and open fields during a thunderstorm and awareness programmes should be organized to spread this message among farmers and cattle grazers, especially. School teachers, Asha workers, Anganwadi staff and panchayat leaders can spread safety measures through street plays, posters and community meetings. The authorities can designate concrete schools and panchayat offices as lightning-safe shelters. These are just some of the measures that can be applied in rural areas. (The writer is a professor at the department of geography, Fakir Mohan University, Balasore)
Indian Express
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Sharmila Tagore recalls shouting at Mausam co-star Sanjeev Kumar after he made her wait for 6 hours: ‘Gulzar Sahab had to pacify me'
Sharmila Tagore and the late Sanjeev Kumar shared screen space in films like Mausam, Faraar, Satyakam, Griha Pravesh, and Charitraheen, among others. During the promotion of her debut OTT venture Gulmohar on The Kapil Sharma Show in 2023, Sharmila shared an anecdote about her friendship with Sanjeev. She recalled that on her very first day of shooting for Mausam, he made her wait for six hours—causing them to start the film on a rather furious note. Also Read: Sharmila Tagore stayed in a chowkidar's room while Simi Garewal got a bungalow during the shoot of Satyajit Ray's Aranyer Din Ratri: 'You cannot imagine how hot it was' Sharmila shared, 'Sanjeev Kumar was my favorite. That time we used to have double shifts, so in the morning I was working with him in Faraar, and in the evening I worked with him on Mausam. I was playing a sex worker in the film, and it was my first day. I was very excited, we had a shift from 2 pm to 10 pm. I was ready to give the shot at 2 pm, and he came at 8 pm. I got so angry with him and said lots of things. Gulzar Sahab had to pacify me.' She added, 'The shooting kept going on, but I was not talking to him even when we shot for Faraar. Then I went and saw Aandhi and loved the film. So the next day, he was in the dressing room next to me, I knocked at his door and told him that he is a very good actor. We shook hands and I forgave him. But I told him that next time, if he is planning to be late, he should inform me, because it is very rude otherwise. Then we became friends. He was a lovely person.' On the work front, Sharmila Tagore was last seen in the Bengali film Puratawn.
New Indian Express
26-05-2025
- Climate
- New Indian Express
Lightning deaths rise as early warning apps fail to serve: Study
BHUBANESWAR : Lightning detection and early warning mechanisms like Damini, Sachet and Mausam have failed to make a positive impact in curbing deaths due to the calamity due to lack of effective outreach, relaying timely alerts to the common people, a new study has concluded. The study findings came on Friday when the state recorded at least 13 lightning deaths in six districts. The study conducted under the lightning monitoring awareness programme of Fakir Mohan University found 48 human fatalities and 86 cattle deaths during March-May period, which is around 18 per cent (pc) of Odisha's average annual lightningrelated fatalities. Koraput reported the highest 13 deaths, followed by seven from Mayurbhanj, six each from Ganjam and Nabarangpur, four from Rayagada, three each from Angul, Balasore, Bargarh and Sundargarh, two each from Puri, Dhenkanal, Kalahandi and Balangir. The data shows over 80 pc of fatalities took place in open environments or kutcha structures and 90 pc between 2 pm and 7 pm. The maximum 17 deaths were recorded while people were standing under trees, six each in agricultural fields and while riding two-wheelers and five deaths inside cow shelters/ shrimp ponds. 'The existing outreach mechanisms that leverage improvement in lightning detection and early warning applications seem to have failed to serve the last-mile rural population as most of the victims are below the poverty line and out of the digital early warning systems,' said lead author Prof Manoranjan Mishra. The researchers said the awareness campaigns that focus on 'Do's and Don'ts' will remain ineffective unless they are carried out physically through the local governance structures like the extension officers, teachers in schools, Anganwadi workers, and panchayat members.
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
From 'Jab We Met' to '83' - All you need to know about Wamiqa Gabbi's Bollywood cameos
Wamiqa Gabbi 's Bollywood journey is a case study in how even the smallest cameos can make a career and leave an indelible mark. From the beginning as Geet's cousin in 'Jab We Met' to her recent starring roles, Gabbi's unflinching observations, reflected in recent interviews, show her cherishing every screen moment, no matter how small. Here's all that you need to know about her. Early cameos and the beginning of her journey Wamiqa Gabbi began her career with a Bollywood cameo in the 2007 blockbuster 'Jab We Met,' in which she featured as one of Geet's cousins. Talking about her journey in an interview with Bollyy, she mentioned, "I've worked in the industry for quite some time now, and all because of the constant encouragement of my parents. They always kept me grounded and safe. I also had incredible friends who were with me. That's why I never lost heart. I really feel that when your vibes are clean, you get good people and opportunities towards you. Once I was genuinely prepared, I feel like the perfect opportunities caught up with me". This philosophy has helped her navigate small but notable roles in movies such as 'Love Aaj Kal' and 'Mausam.' Memorable cameos and learning from every role Gabbi's Bollywood cameos have been in 'Bittoo Boss,' 'Sixteen,' and sports drama '83' (2021), in which she appeared as Annu Lal, wife of cricketer Madan Lal. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo She has repeatedly stressed the importance of every role and said on The Bombay Journey, "Every role, no matter how small, teaches you something new about the craft and about yourself". It is the effect of a performance, rather than its length, that is important to Gabbi. On packing scripts and the strength of cameos Her strategy for picking parts is instinct-driven. In the same episode of The Bombay Journey, she clarified, "I go with my gut. If a character excites me, I don't overthink the screen time. The sincerity you bring is what the audience remembers". This approach has helped her juggle lead parts and cameos, making every performance resonate with the audience. Working with Bollywood's best and behind-the-scenes anecdotes Gabbi's recent encounters with Bollywood legends have been both memorable and humorous. While promoting 'Bhool Chuk Maaf,' she recounted her first meeting with Shah Rukh Khan on the sets of 'Baby John.' In a Mashable India interview, she shared, 'My brother jokingly told me to slit my wrist to get SRK's attention—a shocking suggestion that left everyone speechless! When I informed SRK about it, the entire crew was left speechless. I thanked him instantly and proceeded". Such a viral story speaks to her frankness as well as her sense of humor. Shooting experiences and on-screen chemistry Gabbi's camaraderie with co-stars can be seen in her recent projects. In IMDb's interview with Rajkummar Rao, she mentioned the difficulty of shooting under extreme temperatures for Bhool Chuk Maaf, as follows: "We were shooting at that ghat virtually daily, 50°C, so my entire body was darkened and I came to know later on that my hair were also singed. I didn't know that I needed to apply sunscreen to my hair as well!". Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
