SDC, through its SCA-Himalayas project has been working to address the unique challenges faced by the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR), a region susceptible to rock-ice avalanches, debris flow, rockfall, and snow avalanches.
As part of SCA-Himalayas project, a comprehensive study of rock-ice avalanches is being undertaken in collaboration with WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF), Davos, Switzerland and Central Building Research Institute (CBRI, a CSIR institute), Roorkee. After the rock-ice avalanche event in February 2021 (in Rishiganga Valley, Chamoli district, Uttarakhand), SCA Himalayas recognized the need for extensive research in this area bringing together experts from Switzerland and India on a joint initiative.
In September 2023, a mission to Uttarakhand was carried out by the research team from SLF and CBRI, commencing with a two-day workshop at CBRI Roorkee. This workshop aimed to familiarize researchers and academicians with the modelling of rock-ice avalanches, rock flow, debris flow, and snow avalanches using a software, RAMMS – developed by SLF. A total of 112 participants from various government departments , academic institutions, and research organizations actively engaged in this knowledge-sharing endeavour.
The mission included a field visit to the Rishiganga Valley, where the team interacted with the local communities and gained valuable insights into the impact of Chamoli 2021 event. Additionally, the mission assessed the damages incurred by the NHPC Hydro Power project in Joshimath, holding discussions with NHPC officials to understand the implications and draw lessons from the event. The information collected from the field, through field photographs and the interviews will help establish some benchmarks, which will help calibrating the model.
Culminating the mission, a one-day brainstorming workshop on "Rock-ice Avalanche in Indian Himalayas, Current Status & Future Perspectives" took place at the CBRI campus on September 25, 2023. The main objective of the exchange workshop was to appraise and discuss the current status and future perspectives on rock-ice avalanche in Indian Himalayas. The exchange workshop was planned to aim at future multi-institutional bilateral collaboration on the specific issue between Indian Research/Academic Institutions and Swiss Agency/ Institutions. Participants included representatives from Defence Geoinformatics Research Establishment (DGRE), Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Dehradun (IIRS), Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (HPSDMA), Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority (USDMA), Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Delhi University (DU), Irrigation Research Institute, Roorkee (IRI), Central Building Research Institute, Roorkee (CBRI), and SLF, Switzerland.
This collaborative effort shows our ongoing commitment to addressing environmental challenges and building partnerships for a resilient and sustainable future in the Indian Himalayan Region.
