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Dam in Himalaya induces geomorphic disconnectivity during extreme hydrological event: Evaluating a case of 2013 Kedarnath Disaster

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Abstract

The June 2013 disaster in Kedarnath hit the Mandakini–Alaknanda river valley, resulting in devastating floods. This study deals with the pre- and post-flood event changes in the channel morphology and aims to investigate the geomorphological processes under river management in the Alaknanda valley, NW Himalaya and how the hydroelectric reservoir may have impeded the natural impact of the disaster and created geomorphic discontinuity. This work analyses the spatio-temporal variations in channel morphology over the last decade 2010–2020, discussing the impact of 2013 extreme event; the role of gradient in morphological patterns in river basin system. It highlights how the channel parameters like the thalweg shifts, active channel width, and area under sedimentation responded, from headwaters to lower gradient Lesser Himalayan zones to the 2013 event and suggests that any positive changes in these parameters diminish soon after the reservoir. The study implies that the capability of the reservoir to adjust the sediment load of the event in its upstream is an immediate short-term effect, but brings out the fact that it creates a geomorphic disconnect in the channel between upstream and downstream channel reaches of the reservoir. This disconnect may have a negative impact on sediment storage and sediment–water routing of the river and should be factored into the dam design ensuring natural continuum of geomorphic processes. Further, the study argues that the terrain north of the Main Central Thrust (Higher Himalaya) should be kept free from major human interventions to reduce flood hazards.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the infrastructural facilities provided by the Department of Geology, HNB Garhwal University and Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee. YPS and SA acknowledge the financial help provided by the DST-sponsored project [Ref. No. DST/CCP/MRDP/187/2019(G)].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology, Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University, Srinagar Garhwal, 246 174, India

    Shravi Agarwal & Yaspal Sundriyal

  2. Department of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, 247 667, India

    Pradeep Srivastava

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  1. Shravi Agarwal
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  2. Yaspal Sundriyal
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  3. Pradeep Srivastava
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Contributions

SA: Work, data analysis, software and writing – original draft. YPS and PS: Conceptualisation, supervision and interpretation, writing – original draft and editing.

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Correspondence to Pradeep Srivastava.

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Communicated by George Mathew

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Agarwal, S., Sundriyal, Y. & Srivastava, P. Dam in Himalaya induces geomorphic disconnectivity during extreme hydrological event: Evaluating a case of 2013 Kedarnath Disaster. J Earth Syst Sci 131, 263 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-022-01991-1

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