Monitoring system on lines of tsunami warning can help avoid Uttarakhand-like disasters: DU professor
By Mohammad Ibrar
Surveillance and monitoring systems along the lines of tsunami warning systems, which are installed around the Indian Ocean, can help prevent Uttarakhand-like disasters, says Delhi University professor and Himalayan expert Maharaj K Pandit. The professor claims that rising temperature was the major reason behind the recent tragedy.
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The former dean of the Faculty of Science says that "the Himalayan countries need to build an international network that will monitor risks, such as those from glacial lakes, and give early warning of hazards.
He adds that floods in the Himalayas and its downstream are caused mostly by temporary damming of river channels, which wreak havoc on being breached. The damming is caused by landslides, which are triggered by a plethora of natural and man-made factors like heavy rainfall, earthquake, active geological features, deforestation, large-scale land-use changes, etc.
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The professor suggests that the mountains should not be strained and that regular monitoring and data analysis of dangerously positioned flood sources in the upstream regions are critical to hazard management. "The scientific information will not only save lives, property and limited financial resources but also avoid human misery and unnecessary expenditure on post-hazard operations."
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