Huge Avalanche occurs in Kedarnath's Gandhi Sarovar II VYGR

Uttarakhand: On Sunday, a massive avalanche struck the mountains behind the revered Kedarnath Dham in the Rudraprayag region of Uttarakhand. Though no documented loss of life or property has occurred, this has raised concerns regarding the safety of thousands of Hindu pilgrims on the Char Dham yatra. According to the district magistrate of Rudraprayag, starting May 10th, 7,10,698 pilgrims have travelled to the renowned 11th Jyotirlinga Kedarnath Dham in just 28 days.

VIDEO | Uttarakhand: An avalanche occurred over Gandhi Sarovar in Kedarnath. No loss of life and property was reported. More details are awaited. pic.twitter.com/yfgTrYh0oc— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 30, 2024

According to Dr Vishakha Ashok Bhadane, the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Rudraprayag, the avalanche started at approximately 5 am on a hill approximately 4 kilometres distant from the Kedarnath temple.

A massive amount of snow and debris can be seen streaming down the mountainside in the video footage. This incident is the second of its kind to have occurred in the Kedarnath region in recent weeks. On June 8, an avalanche was recorded in the area of Gandhi Sarovar. The Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand saw a glacier slide down in March 2022, blocking a significant portion of the route. Clearing the route of snow required several days.

At 3,500 meters above sea level, nestled amid the beautiful Himalayas, the Kedarnath temple has been decorated with flowers and holy leaves to greet the crowds of pilgrims who visit it. Despite the severe weather in the area, where daytime highs of 0 to 3 degrees Celsius and nighttime lows of below, the Char Dham yatra—which encompasses the pilgrimage to the shrines of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath—continues uninterrupted.

Retreating Glaciers in Uttarakhand

Glacial lakes are created when glaciers retreat quickly, and these lakes could endanger the people residing downstream. These glaciers have the potential to erupt, inflicting havoc on people and property. When water crosses glacial lakes and enters rivers downstream, the event is referred to by scientists as "glacial lake outburst flooding" (GLOF).

Notably, the Chorabari lake, which lies in front of the temple town, burst in 2013, causing Uttarakhand to suffer its biggest ‘glacial lake outburst flooding’ (GLOF) disaster, with over 6,000 fatalities. After that, in September and October of 2022, there were three avalanches in the region. Furthermore, in May and June of 2023, five such instances were recorded in the Chorabari glacier. Many villages and towns were destroyed by the tremendous floods and landslides brought on by these cloudbursts. Thousands of individuals were carried away, and a large number of bodies remain unaccounted for even today. It is anticipated that Uttarakhand will be experiencing a progressive rise in the possible GLOF threat.

Regulations on tourism

Under the instructions of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Garhwal Divisional Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey has lowered the pre-established limit on the number of pilgrims permitted at the four Dhams to make it easier for pilgrims to access the sites. There were 100 million visitors to Uttarakhand in 2022, including pilgrims, but experts have continually warned that unregulated tourism that goes beyond the area's capabilities will have fatal effects. The atmospheric release of black carbon aerosols is one of the main causes of glacier melting. The area's frequent use of helicopters to transport pilgrims to and from holy locations adds to the black carbon emissions that accelerate the retreat of glaciers.

A committee ought to be established, according to Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, to develop a plan for future Chardham Yatra management. He emphasised in particular the need for stringent ground-level yatra management oversight.

Inputs: Agencies

Image Source: Multiple agencies