Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday directed the Himalayan Centre for Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience at Himachal Pradesh University to undertake a detailed scientific study on the rising incidents of cloudbursts across Himachal Pradesh.
Chairing a high-level meeting on disaster risk reduction and resilience planning, the Chief Minister said the study would examine factors such as the impact of dams, temperature variations, terrain conditions and aerial-distance-based patterns associated with recurring cloudburst events in the Himalayan region.
Sukhu said cloudbursts have become a frequent phenomenon in the state, causing heavy loss of life and property, and stressed the need for scientific analysis to improve preparedness and mitigation measures.
To strengthen disaster research and technical capacity, the state government approved Rs. 6 crore for specialised training and capacity building of the Centre, along with an additional Rs. 10 crore for institutional strengthening. The government also allocated Rs. 1 crore to initiate studies on Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF) in the state.
Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi emphasized the need to build in-house scientific expertise for landslide and GLOF studies instead of depending on external agencies.
During the meeting, officials also presented a hydrodynamic model developed for the Thunag region in Mandi district to assess flash flood impacts and improve early warning systems.
Nurturing Creativity – Keekli Charitable Trust, Shimla
