The 23rd April '21 Snow Avalanche, Girthi Ganga post the 7th February '21 Rishi Ganga Flash Flood: Are these Events Linked to Climate Warming in the Western Himalaya?

The upper catchment of Dhauli Ganga valley (Chamoli district) in Uttarakhand Himalaya recently witnessed a large snow avalanche on the night of 23rd April 2021 along the Indo-Tibet border. This event followed the 7th February 2021 Rishi Ganga (debris flow induced) flash flood within less than three months. This note analyses the plausible causes of the avalanche using pre-disaster field survey data, supported by the limited geological and remote sensing based geomorphological investigations as the site could not be investigated due to remoteness of the location and travel restrictions due to COVID pandemic. The present observations suggest that active and relict cirques to the north of the South Tibetan Detachment System (STDS) are the sites for potential snow and debris avalanches under the projected warming trends in the western Himalaya. Particularly, the study calls for climate change adaptation measures in the climate sensitive Trans Himalayan region and optimize anthropogenic activities in order to safeguard the lives and vital infrastructure.