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The recent floods in the Kedarnath area, Uttarakhand are a classic example of flash floods in the Mandakini River that devastated the country by killing thousands of people besides livestock. Though the duration of the event was small compared to other flood disasters in the country, it resulted in severe damage to property and life. Post-disaster satellite images depict that the river banks were eroded completely along the Kedarnath valley due to the flash floods and few new channels were visible. Extreme erosion took place in the upstream portion of Kedarnath, besides the breach of Chorabari Lake and deposition of debris/sediments in the valley. Hydrological and hydraulic simulation study was carried out in the Mandakini River using space-based inputs to quantify the causes of the flash floods and their impact. Chorabari Lake breach analysis was carried out using Froehlich theory. Flood inundation simulations were done using CARTO DEM of 10 m posting in which the combined effect of lake breach and high-intensity rainfall flood was examined. As the slopes are very steep in the upstream catchment area, lag-time of the peak flood was found to be less and washed-off the Kedarnath valley without any alert. The study reveals quantitative parameters of the disaster which was due to an integrated effect of high rainfall intensity, sudden breach of Chorabari Lake and very steep topography.

Keywords

Flash Floods, Flood Inundation Simulation, Hydrological Modelling, Lake Breach.

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Flash Flood Disaster Threat to Indian Rail Bridges:A Spatial Simulation Study of Machak River Flood, Madhya Pradesh

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Authors

K. H. V. Durga Rao ¹, A. Shravya ¹, V. Venkateshwar Rao ¹, V. K. Dadhwal ¹, P. G. Diwakar ¹

Affiliations
1 National Remote Sensing Centre, Indian Space Research Organisation, 500 037, IN

Source

Current Science, Vol 112, No 05 (2017), Pagination: 1028-1033

Abstract

The recent flood in Machak River, Madhya Pradesh, India is a distinctive paradigm of flash floods that washed off rail tracks and killed a number of passengers besides incredible damage to Indian Railways and to the surrounding villages. This shows the vulnerability of bridges/culverts to flash floods in the country. Flash floods devastated the Machak River during the midnight of 4 August 2015 due to heavy rainfall in the catchment. The duration of flooding was small with less lead-time. Narrow river sections could not accommodate the peak discharge causing severe flooding in floodplains. Hydrological and hydro dynamic simulation was studied in the Machak River using space-based inputs to quantify the causes of flash floods and its impact. Satellite-based rainfall (GPM and IMD's WRF merged product) was used in hydrological modelling in the absence of field rainfall and discharge data. Flood inundation simulations were done using CARTO digital elevation model of 10 m resolution. Inundation extent, depth of inundation, and velocity of flow at different reaches were examined. As the slopes were steep in the upstream catchment area, the lag-time of the peak flood was found to be less and washed off the Machak rail culvert without any alert. The study reveals that quantitative parameters of the disaster are due to high intensity of rainfall, drainage congestion and sudden change of slopes across the catchment.

Keywords

Hydrological Simulation, Hydrodynamic Modeling, Machak River, Rail Accident.

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Nationwide Assessment of Forest Burnt Area in India Using Resourcesat-2 AWiFS Data

Abstract Views :241 | PDF Views:94

Authors

C. Sudhakar Reddy ¹, C. S. Jha ¹, G. Manaswini ¹, V. V. L. Padma Alekhya ¹, S. Vazeed Pasha ¹, K. V. Satish ¹, P. G. Diwakar ¹, V. K. Dadhwal ¹

Affiliations
1 National Remote Sensing Centre, Indian Space Research Organisation, Balanagar, Hyderabad 500 037, IN

Source

Current Science, Vol 112, No 07 (2017), Pagination: 1521-1532

Abstract

This study provides application of Resourcesat-2 AWiFS satellite imagery for forest burnt area assessment in India. AWiFS datasets covering peak forest fire months of 2014 have been analysed. The total burnt area under vegetation cover (forest, scrub and grasslands) of India was estimated as 57,127.75 sq. km. In 2014, 7% of forest cover of India was affected by fires. Of the major forest types, dry deciduous forests are affected by the highest burnt area, followed by moist deciduous forests. Among the biogeographic zones, the highest forest burnt area was recorded in Deccan followed by North East and Western Ghats. The highest burnt area was recorded in Odisha followed by Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Jharkhand, Manipur and Karnataka. Spatial analysis shows that 232 grid cells in India have a burnt area greater than 20 sq. km. The database generated would be useful in ecological damage assessment, fire risk modelling, carbon emissions accounting and biodiversity conservation.

Keywords

AWiFS, Forest Fire, Forest Type, India, Remote Sensing.

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