Floods are another from of natural disaster which the state experiences every year. Due to the diverse topography of the area, the flood problem in the state is largely isolated in Nature. High monsoon rains in the area of the Shiwalik and lower and mid Himalayan ranges cause extensive floods during rainy seasons. In the upper reaches of the Beas and Satuj valley the main problems are flash floods and bank erosion because of the steep slopes of rivers and high river flows due to heavy rains. Often the flash caused due to cloudbursts, glacial lake outbursts and temporary blockade of the river channels have been also observed. As a result of breaches in embankments and damage to various utilities such as irrigation/flood control schemes and houses are also observed.
The rivers of importance from flood damage angle are:
Although widespread floods problems do not exist in the state because of topographical nature, continuing attention is necessary to reduce flood hazards in the state, more particularly the flash flood hazard the incidences of which are increasing causing large scale damage. The major flash floods have been tabulated as under:
Major Flash Floods in Himachal Pradesh.
Some of the devastating Floods, which caused heavy damage to Private as well as Public Property in Himachal Pradesh.
|
Prominent Flash Floods |
History of Damage Occurred |
|
8 July 1973
|
Lake formed by
the blockage of Satluj river due to Nathpa rock fall damaged Sanjay power house, loss of about Rs. 45
million estimated. |
|
19 Jan. 1975
|
In Satluj
basin two blockages were observed in Spiti valley. One on Parechu River between Sumdo and Kaurik due to
landslide created by 19 Jan. 1975 earthquake, which occurred along the Sumdo-Kaurik fault. Blockage was
60m in height and 150m in length created temporary lake. In march this lake burst causing flash floods
in Spiti valley |
|
On 29th Sept.
1988 (2.30 a.m.) a flash flood occurred due to cloud burst in Soldang Khad. |
Caused heavy
loss of life and property in the Soldng village. |
|
31 July and 2
August 1991 |
Cloudburst and
flash flood along Soldan Khad in Satluj valley killed 32 people, 15 houses, 35 bigha agriculture land,
600 apple trees, 2Km of road of NH 22 and 20 m bridge on Soldan Khad washed away. Agriculture land along
Leo village situated downstream. |
|
24 Feb 1993
|
Flood washed
away 15 houses, 35 bigha of agriculture land and about 600 apple trees in Soldang village. |
|
4th and 5th
September |
Satluj river
blocked twice due to major landslide and rock fall near Jhakri and Nathpa, damaging NH-22. |
|
First flash
flood occurred on 4th September 1995 at 2 p.m. After cloudbursts in the upper catchments of Duling and
damaged the PWD rest house. |
• 32 people and
35 cattle lost their lives. |
|
4th and 5th
Sept. 1995 flash flood in Kullu valley |
Flash flood in
Kullu valley occurred which cause damage to the tune of Rs. 759.8 million. |
|
Feb-93 |
500 m road
section of NH-22 washed away by Jakhri slide. Rs. 10 million loss to road and forest land, a village
upper slope was in danger. |
|
4-5 and 12
Sept. 1995 |
Flood and
landslide along Bas river in Kullu valley killed 65 people. NH damaged at numerous places, loss to
government and private property, road and bridges estimated US$ 182 million. |
|
4-5 Sept.
1995 |
Flash flood
along Panwi Khad in Satluj valley washed away 19 houses, 3 buses, HRTC workshop and damaged HPPWD rest
house at Tapri. |
|
11-Aug-97 |
Flash flood
and landslide along Andhra khad in Pabbar valley killed 124 people, 456 cattle, washed away government
and private buildings, 200 m road section and damaged Andhra power house at Chirgaon. Loss was estimated
Rs. 10.63 million. |
|
Aug-97 |
Cloudburst and
flash flood along Satluj river killed 19 people, 464 cattle, 105 houses damaged, 10 cattle sheds and
39-hectare agriculture land. Total loss was estimated Rs.672.9 million. |
|
Flash floods
in the night of 31st July and 1st August 2000 in Satluj valley. |
Flash floods
in the Satluj valley resulting in the increase in water level of Satluj an up to 60 feet above the
normal level. The flash flood ws termed as the one that occurs once in 61,000 years. Widespread damage
in the valley right from its confluence with Spiti river near Khab to downstream areas. Extensive damage
to 200 Km of NH-22, washed away 20 bridges, 22 Jhulas and badly damaged 12 bridges. About 1000
irrigation, sewerage, flood protection and water supply schemes were badly damaged. Expensive damage to
hydel projects including NJPC. 135 people and 1673 cattle lost their lives. The total estimated loss was
to the tune of Rs. 1466.26 crore. |
|
Flash floods
on the night of 23rd July 2001 in Sainj valley in District Kullu. |
Cloudbursts in
the upper reaches of Sainj valley caused flash floods in two nallahs namely, Sainj and Jeeba, affecting
about 40 families 2 bridges on Sainj and Jeeba nallahs and plenty of fertile land were washed away.
Connecting road to Slund and Sainj was also washed away at a number of places. Two persons were washed
away and 5 cattle perished. Some other areas in Kullu district were also affected due to excessive rains
in July and the population of 6355 was adversely affected. |
|
17th and 19th
July 2001 floods in Mandi district. |
Excessive
rains caused damage to 160 houses in Mandi district and destroyed 11 cattle and one human life. |
|
Flash floods
in the night of 29th and 30th July 2001 in Chhota Bhangal and Baijnath Sub Division of Kangra
District. |
Caused
widespread damage in the area. 12 deaths occurred due to flash floods and loss of 150 cattle was
reported from the area. Bridge connecting Deol and Baijnath was also washed away. Total estimated loss
was to the tune of Rs. 18.27 crores. |
|
Flash floods
in the night of 9th August and 10th August 2001 on Moral-Danda peak in the Rohru sub Division in
Shimla District. |
Flash floods
occurred along two streams, one along the Devidhar area and an other along Darkali in Rampur Sub
Division. Damage to infrastructure like roads, bridges, water supply schemes, forest wealth, agriculture
land, horticulture land, footbridges, village paths, residential houses and water mills and loss of 3
lives and 39 cattle and destruction of private property. Total loss in both the Sub Divisions was 145.15
lacs. In Rohru Sub Division 7 bridges, 8 village paths, 8 water supply schemes, and I power house were
damaged besides 16 houses, whereas in Rampur Sub Division, 10 bridges, 8 village paths, 1 water supply
scheme, I soil conservation plant, 7 residential houses and 16 water mills were damaged. |
|
Flash floods
in the night of 21st and 22nd August 2001, cloudburst in Ani Sub Division of Kullu district occurred.
|
Due to flash
flood in village Badhali 2 houses in which a couple was buried alive and their two children injured. In
village sarli 7 people lost their lives, 15 houses were washed away besides the loss of 12 cows, 18 oxen
and 40 sheep and about 115 bighas of agriculture and horticulture land was washed away. |
|
Flash floods
in Sihunta ara and Tissa areas of Chamba district in the night of 12th and 13th August 2001. |
Washed away 9
hectare of fertile land, 2 small bridges causing a total loss to property of some Rs. 2 Crore. |
|
Flash floods
due to cloudbursts in Gharsa valley on 16th July 2003 in Kullu district. |
Due to these
flash floods 21 people lost their lives, 21 people suffered major injuries and 9 are still missing. |
|
Flash floods
in Kangni nalla near Solang in Kullu district on 7th August 2003. |
30 people lost
their lives and 19 people were injured and 9 people are missing, 2 people lost their lives due to
landslide in Bhang nalla. |
|
Flash flood
in Satluj river due to breach in the Parachoo lake in Tibetan catchment on 26th June 2005 |
Extensive damage
as a result of risen water level of Satluj river due to breach in Parachoo lake formed in Tibet
catchments. Washed away the NH-22 at a number of places, 10 bridges, 11 ropeways washed away, 15 motor
able bridges and 8 jeep able and footbridges damaged/affected, 10 Km stretch of NH-22 between Wangtoo
and Samdo was washed away, and various link roads were damaged. Total loss estimated to the government
as well as public property was some Rs. 610 crore. |
|
Flash floods
during July 2005. |
Flash floods
in Pabbar river in Rohru Sub Division resulted in heavy losses to roads, bridges, public buildings,
residential houses, cowsheds, private land. Dhirgaon block was totally cut off. On July 7th, 2005, flash
flood in Baspa river took place causing the loss of 6 bridges and 600 mt link road to Sangla. More than
3000 cattle perished in different parts of the state leading a total loss of some of Rs. 55980.76 lacs.
|
|
15th August
2007, Bhavi Village, Ghanvi, Shimla |
58 persons died;
All roads leading to village cut off |
|
7th August
2009, Dharampur, Mandi |
2 persons died
|
|
12th
September 2010, Kharahal Valley |
Washed away
several roads and bridges |