Flash Floods in Dehradun and the Challenge of Extreme Weather Events
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Geography of India (Indian Monsoon, Himalayan region, Flash Floods); Environment (Extreme Weather Events); Disaster Management (IMD alerts, SDRF).
Mains:
General Studies Paper 1 (Geography): Important Geophysical phenomena such as floods, landslides etc., and their causes and effects.
General Studies Paper 3 (Disaster Management & Environment): Disaster and disaster management. The issue of increasing frequency of extreme weather events in ecologically fragile zones is a core Mains topic.
Key Highlights from the News
Torrential rain and flash floods in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, on Tuesday night killed 13 people and left many missing.
Sahastradhara, a major tourist center, suffered the most damage. Several shops and houses were washed away.
The 192 mm of rain received in a few hours indicates the increasing trend of extreme weather events due to climate change.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued a red alert for the region.
The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) is engaged in rescue operations.
Previous studies and the Supreme Court have pointed out that recurring disasters in the Himalayan states are the result of unscientific development activities and environmental degradation.
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