Avalanche likely in these districts of Uttarakhand!
Avalanches are a common occurrence in the high Himalayan region of uttarakhand, but sometimes these incidents can cause serious damage. Recently, the Defense Geo-informatics Research Establishment (DGRE) has issued an orange alert in view of the possibility of avalanche in Chamoli district. Apart from this, a yellow alert has also been issued in Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Pithoragarh and Bageshwar districts. Avalanche is the process of sudden sliding of snow in glaciers or high Himalayan regions. This happens when layers of snow lose their balance on the slope and start falling down rapidly.
Why do avalanches happen?
According to scientists, avalanches mainly occur when there is sudden bright sunlight after heavy snowfall in the area. This causes the freshly fallen snow to melt and affects the stability of the glacier. Due to the increase in the weight of snow, the pressure on the slope area increases and the snow starts sliding. The speed of avalanche can be from 30 to 300 meters per second, which makes it dangerous.
The high Himalayan regions of uttarakhand are filled with thousands of glaciers, where avalanches occur from time to time. These incidents are considered normal, but their frequency has increased due to climate change. Recently, after heavy snowfall on 27 and 28 December, an avalanche warning has been issued in Chamoli district.
According to Disaster Secretary vinod kumar Suman, avalanches usually occur in areas where there is no human population. But if this danger occurs in populated areas, then people are shifted to safer places. The administration has increased vigilance regarding the situation in Chamoli and other Himalayan districts.
Avalanche creates panic among devotees
Many incidents of avalanche have happened in uttarakhand before. Avalanches occurred three times in four days in Kedarnath (May 2023), causing panic among the devotees. Similarly, several members of the trekking team were killed in an avalanche on Draupadi mountain in Uttarkashi (September-October 2022).