The much-revered phenomenon of Snowfall also has a bleak side attached to it and that is the Avalanche. Avalanches are an often-ignored calamity in the Indian subcontinent which can have a potential to turn out into a catastrophic event. It is a very serious hazard that can at times turn out to be fatal for many. Any significant mass rolling down the mountains is called an Avalanche and is more prominently linked to snow.
When snowfall takes place it usually traps some air along with it. Moreover, it rarely has any solid grip with the surface on which it falls. As more and more snow falls on the older snow, this keeps on heaping and at one point when the grip can hold no more, the snow-stack collapses under its own weight leading to an Avalanche. It all comes down sloping through the mountain side, bringing down whatever comes in its way- be it rocks, trees, houses, cattle or people, if that’s the case. It seems like somebody has flushed some fresh snow on you all at once. As this mass of snow rolls down, it keeps on collecting more and more of it, thus only leading to a magnified magnitude.
Heavy snowfall followed with a bright sunny day are the perfect ingredients for a cooking avalanche. Months of January and February are the ones most susceptible to avalanches. Also, avalanches in April are not uncommon, when the snow is usually on its melting phase. Usually places which are situated at a height of more than 8000 ft and states like Jammu-Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are more prone than others.
Another reason for Avalanches is the earthquakes. Even mild to moderate tremors are enough for bringing down heaps of snow. Moreover, all three Himalayan states of Jammu-Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are the highly seismic zones which keep on witnessing earthquakes from time to time.
Avalanches can’t be predicted and often occur after heavy snowing. As there is no forewarning to these events, tourists are usually warned not to lead towards mountains during the season of heavy snowfall. However, military personnel have no escape as they are usually manning such harsh places.
Rehabilitation and recovery are a task after the losses caused by an avalanche, as the accident site remains highly vulnerable for a lot of time. The recovering parties have to work in extremely hostile environments and challenging conditions.
Recently, a soldier from Indian Army lost his life while another was injured due to an avalanche in Poonch area of Jammu and Kashmir. The avalanche hit the post of Rashtriya Rifles in Sawjian sector around 4 am along the Line of Control (LoC). The deceased jawan was identified as Lance Naik Sapan Mehra. In the days to come, a warning has already been issued for higher reaches against heavy snowfall on January 4, 5 and 6.
Image Credits – post.jagran.com
Any information taken from here should be credited to Skymet Weather
