Deluge of June 2013 is the worst disaster faced by the nation in recent times. Changing rainfall pattern in the previous some years has made heavy localized precipitation all the more common in Uttarakhand and the same is a cause of concern for the state government, meteorologists and other researchers. These incidences cause enormous loss of human lives, property, infrastructures and natural resources. Moreover rainfall in the study area is highly variable even over short distances. Dissected topography and tectonically active nature of the area further promote mass movement and slope instability. Increased indiscriminate anthropogenic intervention along the river banks, on glacial sediments, thick colluviums zones and river borne materials on moderate to steep slope, has often resulted in devastation in the area. The study highlights causes of slope instability together with the geomorphic changes and suggestions for future developmental initiatives within the district.

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In the previous some years, the risk of water induced disasters has increased in the hilly terrain like Uttarakhand as a result of deforestation, increasing anthropogenic activities as well as climate change. In Uttarakhand Himalaya cloudburst and extreme precipitation events have been brought down huge amount of debris with large volume of water in the form of debris flow and flash flood. Almost every year several parts of Uttarakhand Himalaya experience hydro-metrological disaster as cloudburst, flash floods and debris flow. Presence of fractured, jointed and sheared rock mass due to vicinity of Main Central Thrust (MCT) zone and highly weathered state of rock played significant role for the slope instability in the area. This year (2017) in Uttarakhand, Malpa and Mangti area, Pithoragarh district and Kotdwar (Pauri district) have been severely damaged by cloudburst and subsequent landslides and flash floods. In August 2017, Kailash-Mansarover Pilgrimage road and pedestrian route were damaged and blocked at several locations and Yatra was suspended till further notice. Simkhola and Malpa Gad are tributaries of Kali river and meet at right bank of the river, due to heavy localized precipitation or cloudburst Kali river was reportedly flowing at a dangerously high level. Cloudburst is a distinctive phenomenon especially with respect to fragile and unstable Himalayan terrain, although climatic factor as incessant and torrential rainfall is the major triggering factor responsible for this phenomenon but there have always been several other factors which are also responsible for the large scale damage and destruction in a particular location such as geological/structural, geo-morphological as well as anthropogenic factors also enhance scale of damage and destruction. In the present communication an attempt is made to assess the impact of hydro-metrological disaster and identify the causes behind damage and destruction.

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