IIT study shows how 45% of Himachal at high risk of natural disasters

A recent study presented by IIT-Ropar at the “2nd Indian Cryosphere Meet” (ICM) held at IIT-Bombay revealed that nearly 45% of Himachal Pradesh’s land is at high risk of natural disasters such as floods, landslides, and avalanches.

The event, which was organised from February 14-15, was attended by 80 experts, including glaciologists, researchers and scientists. The focus of the event was discussing vulnerability of mountain regions to these natural disasters.

The research, led by MTech scholar Daishisha under the supervision of Associate Professor Reet Kamal Tiwari at IIT-Ropar, utilised GIS-based mapping to identify hazard-prone areas across the state.
Tiwari explained that regions with slopes ranging from 5.9 to 16.4 degrees and elevations up to 1,600 metres were particularly susceptible to both floods and landslides.

On the other hand, higher-altitude areas, with steeper slopes between 16.8 and 41.5 degrees, were more prone to avalanches and landslides, said Tiwari. The study highlighted that the steepest slopes above 3,000 metres posed the greatest risk.

In addition to Himachal Pradesh, Tiwari mentioned ongoing studies in other vulnerable regions, including Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir and the northeastern states. “We are collaborating with IIT-Roorkee to conduct a similar study for Uttarakhand,” he said.

TNR