FLOODS IN LADAKH,INDIAPowerPoint Presentation by-

Anoushka Gupta IX-F

Cause

The flash floods happened after a night of heavy downpour. The cloudburst itself occurred between 0000–0030 hours IST on 6 August 2010, leading to flash flooding, debris flows, and mudslides over the region. The rainfall distribution was highly spatially variable. The most intense part of the storm was focused in a 6 km wide band parallel to, and a few kilometers from, the river Indus. This band was centered over most of the major settlements in the area, including Leh. However, within it precipitation intensities were over an order of magnitude higher, peaking at least 150 mm/h over Leh during the most intense part of the storm.

The flash floods happened after a night of heavy downpour. The CLOUDBURST itself occurred between 0000–0030 hours IST on 6 August 2010, leading to flash flooding, debris flows, and mudslides over the region. The rainfall distribution was highly spatially variable. The most intense part of the storm was focused in a 6 km wide band parallel to, and a few kilometers from, the river Indus. This band was centered over most of the major settlements in the area, including Leh. Some estimates of the maximum total rainfall in some places were as high as 250 mm.

Areas affected

71 towns and villages were damaged, including the main town in the area, Leh. At least 255 people are reported to have died, six of whom were foreign tourists,In Leh, many buildings were destroyed. The village of Choglamsar on the outskirts of the city was particularly badly hit. In neighboring valleys, large numbers of smaller villages which lay under the main rainfall band were also heavily damaged, with large numbers of casualties. Much of the destruction was caused by debris flows coming from the rocky sidewalls of the valleys, not the flooding itself.[Notable impacts occurred in Sobu, Phyang, Nimmu, Nyeh, and Basgo villages.

Loss of Life and Property

All of the estimated 3000 tourists in Leh, including 1000 foreigners were safe according to local officials. Outside the town, 6 tourists were reported killed. However, official documents indicate that at least 255 local residents were killed, with a further 29 never found. The true toll may have been significantly higher, perhaps more than 600 people.

Rescue and Rehabilitation measures undertaken

The rescue efforts were hampered by gushing water and mud which was 10 feet

high in places. In addition many of the roads and bridges leading to Leh were

damaged making it difficult to truck in relief supplies.[9] Four hundred critically

wounded people were evacuated and some were admitted to the army hospital

in Leh.[8] Indian Army soldiers launched a massive rescue operation.[

The rescue efforts were hampered by gushing water and mud which was 10 feet high in places. In addition many of the roads and bridges leading to Leh were damaged making it difficult to truck in relief supplies. Four hundred critically wounded people were evacuated and some were admitted to the army hospital in Leh. Indian Army soldiers launched a massive rescue operation. 6000 security personnel were deployed in Leh for rescue operations.Prime minister Manmohan Singh expressed grief and announced compensation of Rs. 100,000 to the kin of deceased and Rs. 50,000 for those injured.

Lessons learnt

•Knowledge is power. Knowing how to purify water, make a fire, or perform any other survival skill can be life-saving.•Get together. Many survivors of major disaster situations stress the importance of working together with your neighbors to restore order. Everyone has different sets of skills and knowledge, and working together can make everyone’s experience a little bit better.• You should always carry some essential emergency items. The most commonly mentioned ones are food, water, matches, batteries, and torch