Natural Disasters in Himachal Pradesh: How students can help improve the scenario - tips from Aarna Wadhawan

Himachal Pradesh, a state known for its natural beauty, snow-capped Himalayas and exquisite landscapes, attracts millions of national and international tourists every year. The hilly state, however, is now caught in a continuous cycle of landslides, cloudbursts and flash floods. According to the Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Plan, patterns of temperature and rainfall are changing in the state and these have increased the frequency and intensity of extreme climatic events, such as riverine and flash floods, avalanche, cloud bursts, landslides and forest fires. The frequent occurrence of landslides is one of the issues encountered due to the erosion of the top layer of soil. Also, damage to marine aquatic life due to hydro projects and the cement factories in Himachal is a problem of grave proportions.

At least ten people, including five women and a two-year-old girl, were killed and 60 others feared trapped under debris after several vehicles, including a bus carrying 24 passengers, were hit by a landslide on a highway near Nigulsari in Himachal's Kinnaur district in August 2021,said the officials of Himachal Pradesh.

“Human beings are the creatures which polluted the world and it is them who have to save it, there is no other way,” says environmentalist Aarna Wadhawan. Yesterday she visited Pinegrove school, Kasauli to motivate them to take action against soil erosion. Aarna warned the children that as the youth power of the country if they do not take action to stop disaster against deforestation, then the earth has to bear the consequences and hence they will be responsible for climate crisis. She reminded the youth of the Kinnaur tragedy caused due to heavy rainfall.

Himachal is paying the price for ignoring climate change wanmings. Aarna Wadhawan made  the students of Pinegrove School in Himachal aware of the methods of preventing soil erosion by planting trees. She explained them the importance of planting Vegetation.

The snow cover of the Himalayas in Himachal Pradesh that feeds four major river systems is down by 18% in a year, indicating climate change. If there is a shift in snowfall pattern, as has been observed over the past few years, the long-term implications will be on water availability in the river basins as the seasonal snow cover contributes to the river discharge during the lean season. If such fluctuating trends continue for long, they affect the weather cycle, resulting in erratic rain, snowfall and heat and ultimately water availability. 

Earlier, pleasant rain used to continue for a week, but now, the rainy days have decreased and the intensity of rain has increased.

The glaciers also melt at a rapid pace now. Water from glaciers joins with heavy rain, causing flash floods in the area. The warm winds have increased which collide with the huge cold clouds. So, the moisture comes down very heavily in the form of cloudbursts. The cloudburst incidents then lead to floods and landslides causing severe damages to the infrastructure in the state.”