An urgent survey of the ground deformation in the earthquake-hit Nepal Himalayan region has been suggested to prevent future disasters by identifying areas that experienced landslides and avalanches.
The deformation could be in form of ground cracking, landslides and formation of artificial lakes which could breach at a later stage, warned Dr. R.K. Chadha, Chief Scientist and Seismologist at CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI).
Talking to The Hindu , he said the immediate need was to focus on preventing further catastrophes in the post-earthquake scenario. “A thorough survey is needed to see the ground deformations that took place which could be disastrous in the near future,” he added. Citing an example, he said that in January this year, Phutkal river in the Kargil region was blocked after a huge chunk of a hill slid and fell into it. This led to creation of an artificial lake. He said in the aftermath of Saturday’s 7.9 magnitude Nepal earthquake, there was a possibility of hazardous phenomena like a river getting blocked due to landslides and moving of glaciers from the upper Himalayan reaches to lower regions.
Such an eventuality could lead to formation of artificial lakes. It could prove disastrous for downstream villages if such lakes get breached, he cautioned. Dr Chadha said such major earthquakes could also trigger avalanches as big chunks of ice get disconnected and start flowing. He said avalanches could be generated by vibrations caused by earthquakes or other events not connected to an earthquake. A study through satellite imagery would reveal the status of an avalanche-whether it was stable or moving further or likely to block a river. Dr. Chadha suggested that a collaborative effort to have a combined monitoring of the region by scientists from Nepal and India.
A thorough survey is needed to see the ground deformations that took place which could be disastrous in the near future
Dr. R.K. Chadha,Chief Scientist and Seismologist at CSIR-NGRI
