Climate change largely responsible for frequent cloudbursts, flash floods and landslides: Expert

Shimla, Jul 6 (PTI) Climate change due to global warming is largely responsible for frequent cloudbursts, flash floods and landslides, and construction activities for projects must be in sync with sustainable and green development goals in fragile ecosystems like in Himachal, said Suresh Attri, chief scientific office, department of environment, science technology and climate change.

Global warming has led to an increase in disasters. Due to global warming, temperatures have risen, and the average rise in temperature during the past 60 years was 0.9 degrees in Himachal, compared to 0.6 degrees at the national level and in Asia, he told The PTI on Sunday.

This resulted in extreme weather conditions, scanty snowfall, shrinking spring season and wet spells even during May and June, and due to moisture and saturation, the heavy rains caused massive soil erosion and an increase in the occurrence of cloudbursts, flash floods and landslides, he added.

Since the onset of monsoon on June 20, at least 47 people have died in rain-related incidents till July 5, out of which 31 died in cloudbursts, flash floods and landslides or were drowned, officials said. During the 2023 floods, approximately 550 people lost their lives in Himachal Pradesh.

"We must understand and analyse our rainfall pattern as it impacts our agriculture, horticulture and hydraulic system, " he said and stressed strict norms for undertaking construction activities in the state and such areas should be restored.

Asserting that heavy rains are not confined only to narrow valleys and can occur anywhere, Attri said that the frequency of natural calamities has increased significantly during the past five years and as per the report of the India Meteorological Department, it would increase more rapidly in future, and the people must be made aware and sensitised to save the nature and achieving the goal of green development.

Climate change makes a difference in soil, forests and ecosystems as the air becomes warm, absorbs moisture, rises above and gets cool, subsequently converting into heavy rains, Attri explained.

Heavy rains measuring more than 100 mm in small areas are termed cloudbursts, and they are not confined to narrow valleys but can occur anywhere, Attri said.

Asserting that roads and houses can't be constructed everywhere, the geological condition of the soil should be scientifically analysed, and construction along the banks of rivers and 'nullahs (drains)' should be avoided for safety.

Illegal dumping of muck during the construction of roads is another reason for devastation, as its vast quantities during heavy rains result in flash floods and landslides, causing extensive damage to life and property, He also cautioned against tinkering with the drainage system and said that engineers should also study the drainage pattern so that the flow of water does not get affected. Attri also pointed out that the frequent landslides on the Shimla-Kalka highway were due to 80 to 90 degrees vertical cutting of the land and destroying the natural drainage system of forests.

Replying to a question, he said that the construction of large numbers of dams has also affected the local climate as the localised convection process has increased atmospheric instability. Earlier, there were grasslands, which helped in soil binding, but now big plants have been sown to check the silting of dams, and an intense study should be done to ascertain that these plantations have increased or reduced the moisture, he emphasised.

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