Need to understand nature
Jammu and Kashmir is a difficult terrain area besides being surrounded by a huge mountainous range all around. The geography of the area makes it vulnerable to natural calamities and the fact that we have been fiddling with nature makes things all the more complicated and unpredictable as well.
Cloudbursts are one such phenomenon which has seen tremendous increase over the past several years. In Jammu and Kashmir cloudburst are results of intense rainfall over a short period, leading to flash floods and landslides. The region’s geography, with its rugged terrain-with innumerable water bodies, makes it prone to such events.
Ironically, the deadly cloudburst in Kishtwar’s remote Chasuti area that struck on Thursday has once again put our focus as to why Jammu & Kashmir is prone to such devastating weather events.
Scientists and environmental experts say the Union Territory’s unique location in the western Himalayas, combined with shifting climate patterns and unplanned human activity, creates ideal conditions for cloudbursts.
J&K’s steep mountains, deep valleys and sharp elevation changes make it a natural trap for moisture-laden air. And when warm, moist air from the monsoon or western disturbances is forced upward by the mountains, cooling it rapidly, forming towering cumulonimbus clouds, such activity unleashes enormous amounts of rain in a brief period of time.
The fact is evident by the amount of downpour that was witnessed in Kishtwar and Pahalgam on Thursday afternoon. Though there was no loss of life reported in Pahalgam but in Kishtwar things turned bad and saddening as well.
Ironically, Jammu and Kashmir sits at the meeting point of two major weather systems—the Indian monsoon and the western disturbances from Central Asia. Their convergence over the mountains often leads to highly localised and intense rainfall, the hallmark of a cloudburst.
What is important to note is that Jammu and Kashmir’s vulnerability is heightened by the rapid rate of warming in the Himalayas. The Himalayan region is heating at nearly double the global average. And this occurrence creates warmer air which can store more moisture, which means when it rains, it rains harder. This amplifies the destructive potential of cloudbursts.
Experts also warn that while cloudbursts are a natural phenomenon, their frequency and impact are being magnified by human activity. JK has witnessed huge construction and human footfall in areas that are considered as fragile zones which in-turn alters natural drainage systems and destabilises slopes. This not only increases runoff but also leaves communities more exposed to disaster.
What is needed is that we stress on restoring ecological balance in the region as this will hold the key in minimising the losses we suffer due to any natural calamity.
