SRINAGAR: Climate change and anthropogenic factors are contributing to the rising risk of extreme rainfall, cloudbursts, flash floods and landslides in the Himalayan region, the Union Government has told the Lok Sabha.
The Ministry of Home Affairs said assessments by weather experts, scientific institutions and State authorities indicate that the intensity and frequency of extreme rainfall events are increasing in the Himalayan region as a consequence of climate change.
The disclosure came in response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3858 on incidents of cloudbursts in Himachal Pradesh.
The Ministry said accelerated snowmelt and moraine instability were contributing to off-season slope failures and increased runoff in high-altitude areas. It added that the Multi-Sectoral Central Team (MSCT) studying the situation had also found that anthropogenic factors were contributing to the increased risk.
In view of the increasing frequency and intensity of cloudbursts, flash floods, landslides and extreme rainfall in Himachal Pradesh, the Centre has constituted an MSCT comprising experts from the National Disaster Management Authority, Central Building Research Institute, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Indian Institute of Technology, Indore, and other agencies.
Inputs from the India Meteorological Department, Central Water Commission and Geological Survey of India have also been incorporated into the assessment.
The team has been tasked with scientifically assessing the causes of extreme weather events, analysing geographical and ground conditions in the worst-affected areas and examining data compiled by different agencies.
It will also recommend long-term measures to minimise the impact of cloudbursts and other disasters in the Himalayan State.
The Centre’s response assumes significance for the wider Himalayan region, including Jammu and Kashmir, where intense rainfall, cloudbursts, flash floods and landslides have repeatedly posed risks to lives, infrastructure and connectivity.
