- Here are reasons for cloudburst in Himachal Pradesh
Flash floods after cloudbursts have been reported from the hill state of Himachal Pradesh, even as more than 70 people have lost their lives due to lightning strikes in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh in the last 24 hours. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah have said they are closely monitoring the situation in Himachal Pradesh and assured Chief Minister Jairam Thakur of all the possible help.
Let us know some of the reasons for the cloudburst:
- The cloudburst is very sudden And because of heavy rainfall, which lasts only for a short period of time and is extremely local in nature.
- Cloud bursts usually occur in connection with a thunderstorm, during these thunderstorms, a large amount of water may accumulate at a high levels and if the upward currents are weakened, the accumulated water comes down at one time , causing flash floods
- Mountainous areas witness cloud bursts on a regular basis. This explains why hill states like Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are frequently affected by this factor. The frequent occurrence of cloud bursts in such areas takes place probably because the warm air currents in a thunderstorm tend to follow the upward slope of a mountain.
4) A great devastation in hilly areas because the water gets concentrated in gullies and valleys. The flash floods due to mountain cloud bursts are destructive and sudden.
5) Uttarakhand in particular has seen devastation due to cloud bursts. The Uttarakhand state Disaster Management Authority has listed several Cloudburst-related incidents on its website including the June 2013 flash floods.
The agency has also listed several measures to mitigate the effects of a cloudburst. It suggests that instead of valleys, people should live in areas on slopes with the firm ground for safety reasons. In areas where ground fissures have developed, appropriate steps should be taken to check the infiltration of rainwater and surface water. It also suggests banning unscientific and indiscriminate construction work.