Abstract:
Human induced climate change has contributed to the changing patterns of extreme weather
events across the globe, from longer and hotter heat waves to heavier rains. While natural
variability continues to play a key role in extreme weather. Climate change has shifted to the
odds and changed the natural limited, making certain types of extreme weather more frequent
and more intense. Extreme weather events are on the rise, and the indications are that it will
continue to increase more in both predictable and unpredictable ways. Increase in temperature,
rainfall, rainfall variables and intensities in the State may lead to accelerated summer flows
which leading to situations like flash/flashfloods in north western regions of the State. Health
risks also associated indirectly with extreme events in sub montane, low hills, and humid agro
climatic zones of the State.
In Himachal Pradesh due to extreme weather events mainly cloudburst and flashflood in past
three decades, there were so many losses of lives and damage to the properties, cloudburst
formed flashflood and landslides in hilly areas. The main regions in Himachal Pradesh are like
Kullu, Kinnaur and the high altitude regions of Himachal Pradesh. In this study Kullu, Kinnaur
and Mandi district had highest number of cloudbursts and flashfloods.
Whereas in last 5 years this is estimated that total damage to the houses, crops and public
properties lead to 4 % revenue loss of total estimated budget of Himachal Pradesh. It is also
revealed that revenue losses are continuously reduced since 2014-15 i.e. 3.36%, 2015-16 i.e.
3.17%, 2016-17 i.e. 2.64% and in 2017-18 loss is only 2.55% that due to appropriate
implementation state disaster management plan.
The present paper is based on the secondary data/information and aims at giving an account of
various incidences of flashfloods and cloudburst in their multi-facet impacts on the Himachal Pradesh. The paper also tries to analyze the spatial similarities and differences in the flood prone
areas to find out the policy imperatives for the sustainable development. |
