Cloudbursts
Prelims:
Geography
Mains:
GS
Paper III – Disaster and Disaster Management; Environmental impacts of climate
change
Current
relevance:
The Central Government has constituted a Multi-Sectoral Central Team
(MSCT) to scientifically assess the increasing frequency and intensity of cloudbursts,
flash floods, landslides and extreme rainfall events in Himachal Pradesh
and recommend long-term measures to reduce their impact.
Highlights:
1.
Multi-Sectoral Central Team (MSCT):
i.
The MSCT includes
experts from NDMA, CBRI-Roorkee, IITM-Pune, IIT-Indore and other
concerned agencies.
ii.
Inputs from IMD,
Central Water Commission (CWC) and Geological Survey of India (GSI) have
also been incorporated.
iii.
The Team will assess
the causes of increasing extreme weather events, examine the geographical
and ground conditions of severely affected areas, analyse data from
different agencies and recommend long-term disaster-risk reduction measures.
2.
Climate Change and Himalayan Vulnerability:
i.
Assessments indicate
that climate change is increasing the intensity and frequency of extreme
rainfall events in the Himalayan region.
ii.
Accelerated snowmelt and moraine instability contribute to off-season slope failures and
increased runoff in high-altitude areas.
iii.
These conditions can
aggravate the risks associated with flash floods and landslides.
3.
Anthropogenic Factors:
i.
According to the
MSCT study, anthropogenic factors have also contributed to increasing
disaster risk in the region.
ii.
The Ministry of
Earth Sciences (MoES) states that a warming environment combined with
regional anthropogenic influences has contributed to an increase in the
frequency of localized heavy rainfall events over India.
iii.
Thus, the growing
vulnerability of Himachal Pradesh reflects the combined influence of changing
climatic conditions, fragile high-altitude terrain and human-induced
factors.
4.
About Cloudburst and its features:
i.
According to the India
Meteorological Department (IMD), a rainfall event is termed a cloudburst
when 10 cm (100 mm) or more rainfall is received at a station within one
hour.
ii.
Highly localised: Cloudbursts occur over a very small geographical
area, typically about 20–30 sq. km.
iii.
They are short-lived
extreme weather events, characterised by exceptionally intense rainfall.
iv.
Seasonality: In India, cloudbursts occur predominantly during the monsoon season.
v.
Geographical distribution: They are particularly associated with orographically
dominant regions, including the Himalayan region, northeastern States
and Western Ghats.
Source: PIB - https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2297619®=48&lang=1