Latest news with #PKJoshi
RTHK
5 days ago
- Climate
- RTHK
Himalayan flood likely caused by glacier collapse
Himalayan flood likely caused by glacier collapse Water and debris tore down a narrow mountain valley, smashing into the town of Dharali. File photo: Reuters A deadly wall of muddy water that swept away an Indian Himalayan town this week was likely caused by a rapidly melting glacier exacerbated by the rising effects of climate change, experts said on Thursday. Four people have been confirmed dead with scores of people still missing after water and debris tore down a narrow mountain valley, smashing into the town of Dharali in Uttarakhand state on Tuesday. Several people could be seen in videos running before being engulfed as waves uprooted entire buildings, leaving others smothered in freezing sludge. Government officials said shortly after the disaster that the flood was caused by an intense "cloudburst" of rain. However, experts assessing the damage suggested that that was only the final trigger, adding to days of prolonged rains that had already soaked and loosened the ground. PK Joshi, of New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, an expert on Himalayan hazards, said it appeared the flood was caused by the collapse of debris – known as moraine – that had dammed a lake of meltwater from a retreating glacier. He added that the persistent rainfall over the preceding days or collapse of a moraine-dammed lake contributed to the "sudden high energy flash flood". Cloud cover has obstructed satellite imagery to check for the exact source of the debris, and Joshi cautioned that there was not enough satellite data for a "definitive confirmation". Himalayan glaciers, which provide critical water to nearly two billion people, are melting faster than ever before due to climate change, exposing communities to unpredictable and costly disasters, scientists warn. (AFP)
RTHK
5 days ago
- Climate
- RTHK
Himalayan flood likely caused by glacier collapse
Himalayan flood likely caused by glacier collapse Water and debris tore down a narrow mountain valley, smashing into the town of Dharali. File photo: Reuters A deadly wall of muddy water that swept away an Indian Himalayan town this week was likely caused by a rapidly melting glacier exacerbated by the rising effects of climate change, experts said on Thursday. Four people have been confirmed dead with scores of people still missing after water and debris tore down a narrow mountain valley, smashing into the town of Dharali in Uttarakhand state on Tuesday. Several people could be seen in videos running before being engulfed as waves uprooted entire buildings, leaving others smothered in freezing sludge. Government officials said shortly after the disaster that the flood was caused by an intense "cloudburst" of rain. However, experts assessing the damage suggested that that was only the final trigger, adding to days of prolonged rains that had already soaked and loosened the ground. PK Joshi, of New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, an expert on Himalayan hazards, said it appeared the flood was caused by the collapse of debris – known as moraine – that had dammed a lake of meltwater from a retreating glacier. He added that the persistent rainfall over the preceding days or collapse of a moraine-dammed lake contributed to the "sudden high energy flash flood". Cloud cover has obstructed satellite imagery to check for the exact source of the debris, and Joshi cautioned that there was not enough satellite data for a "definitive confirmation". Himalayan glaciers, which provide critical water to nearly two billion people, are melting faster than ever before due to climate change, exposing communities to unpredictable and costly disasters, scientists warn. (AFP)
CNA
5 days ago
- Climate
- CNA
Deadly Indian Himalayan flood likely caused by glacier collapse, experts say
NEW DELHI: A deadly wall of muddy water that swept away an Indian Himalayan town this week was likely caused by a rapidly melting glacier exacerbated by the rising effects of climate change, experts said on Thursday (Aug 7). Scores of people are missing after water and debris tore down a narrow mountain valley, smashing into the town of Dharali in Uttarakhand state on Tuesday. Several people could be seen in videos running before being engulfed as waves uprooted entire buildings, leaving others smothered in freezing sludge. At least four people have been confirmed killed, but at least 50 others are missing. Government officials said shortly after the disaster that the flood was caused by an intense "cloudburst" of rain. However, experts assessing the damage suggested that it was only the final trigger, adding to days of prolonged rains that had already soaked and loosened the ground. PK Joshi, of New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, an expert on Himalayan hazards, said it appeared the flood was caused by the collapse of debris - known as moraine - that had dammed a lake of meltwater from a retreating glacier. "Given the persistent rainfall over preceding days and the sudden discharge observed, a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) or collapse of a moraine-dammed lake is suspected as the primary trigger," Joshi told AFP. That would have contributed to a "sudden high energy flash flood", he said, noting that glacial terrain upstream of the town included "unstable sediment zones". Cloud cover has obstructed satellite imagery to check for the exact source of the debris, and Joshi cautioned that there was not enough satellite data for a "definitive confirmation". "DISASTER SEVERITY" Safi Ahsan Rizvi, an adviser to the National Disaster Management Authority, also said that it was "likely" that the cause was a "glacio-fluvial debris landslide". Sandip Tanu Mandal, a glaciologist at New Delhi's Mobius Foundation, also pointed to the "possibility of a GLOF", caused by "significant water accumulation in the lake due to increased melting and rainfall". Mandal noted that while heavy, the amount of rain immediately before the flood was "not very significant" in comparison to the vast volumes of water that poured down the valley. That would indicate the source was a potentially collapsing lake. Himalayan glaciers, which provide critical water to nearly two billion people, are melting faster than ever before due to climate change, exposing communities to unpredictable and costly disasters, scientists warn. The softening of permafrost increases the chances of landslides. Joshi said the latest disaster "highlights the complex and interconnected nature of Himalayan hazards". Rapid development and building downstream meant that the damage caused was multiplied.
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Business Standard
29-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
India a developed nation only when farming becomes profitable, prestigious
Four focus areas that will be pivotal in achieving our goal of becoming a developed nation Himanshu Pathak P K Joshi Listen to This Article At the 10th Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reemphasised the need to make India a developed nation by 2047, coinciding with the centenary of Independence. The agriculture sector holds vast potential to emerge as a driving force in achieving this goal through innovation, economic strength, and environmental sustainability. In the past, Indian agriculture witnessed a remarkable transformation from a food-insecure to a food-surplus nation, becoming a global success story. There has been a giant leap in food grain production — from a very low level of 50.82 million tonnes in 1950-51 to an all-time high
