American Journal of Geophysics, Geochemistry and Geosystems
Articles Information
American Journal of Geophysics, Geochemistry and Geosystems, Vol.5, No.2, Jun. 2019, Pub. Date: Oct. 11, 2019
Morphological Characteristics and Vulnerability Assessment of Alaknanda, Bhagirathi, Mandakini and Kali Rivers, Uttarakhand (India)
Pages: 49-68 Views: 1204 Downloads: 1143
Authors
[01] Kuldeep Pareta, DHI (India) Water & Environment Pvt Ltd, New Delhi, India.
[02] Flemming Jakobsen, DHI (India) Water & Environment Pvt Ltd, New Delhi, India.
[03] Madhu Joshi, Risk Management Solutions (RMS), Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Abstract
The torrential rains in June 2013 combined with melting of snow caused voluminous floods in the rivers of Uttarakhand and subsequently triggered widespread mud, landslides and debris deposition. The event caused instability of the channel by shifting the banks. The main hazards in region related to the rivers are flooding, landslide, soil erosion, and river bank instability. Criteria to identify the vulnerable reaches are based on risk, exposure and hazards in that area. The magnitude of risks due to flood hazards on various exposures along the riverbank is calculated based on qualitatively derived scores. Erosion rendered many locations along the banks vulnerable to economic and human loss. The extent and magnitude of risks have been assessed based on information of past events, rapid field assessments, current mitigation measures and interactions with the locals. The findings from these interactions, and secondary data based on geospatial analysis of bank line changes have been used in the identification of vulnerable reaches of the rivers. The shifts in reaches are calculated by digitizing the bank line using satellite imageries of year 2005, 2010 and 2015. Susceptibility of banks and damages by high discharge along bank line are also studied. A fuller understanding will enable decision makers towards more efficient resources management for prevention and mitigation of flood events.
Keywords
Vulnerability, Landslide, Flood, Bankline Changes, Himalaya, Disaster, Extreme Rainfall
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