Nepal flash floods: A wake-up call against infrastructure building spree across Himalayas, warns geo-scientist C.P. Rajendran

The flash floods in Nepal serve as a stark reminder of the risks associated with the rapid infrastructure development in the Himalayas, according to geo-scientist C.P. Rajendran. Rajendran warns that the region's unstable slopes and reduced river efficiency are largely due to projects built with little regard for their ecological consequences.

He emphasizes that the Nepal disaster is not an isolated event, being comparable to previous regional disasters such as the Chamoli, Kedarnath, and Raini floods in Uttarakhand. The exact cause of the recent floods remains under investigation, but evidence points to a massive glacier collapse and landslide high in the Himalayas. The report highlights the acceleration of glacier retreat, shifting rainfall patterns, and the thawing of permafrost due to climate change.

As glaciers retreat, they leave behind deposits of rock, silt, and gravel, known as moraines, which can trap meltwater and trigger glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs). The report concludes by emphasizing the need for governments to reconsider their infrastructure-building spree in the Himalayas, as it could further compound the risks of floods, landslides, and glacial lake outbursts, threatening the water availability for billions of people downstream.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Hindu's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.