Himalayan tsunami
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Kosi Admin
Dec 4, 2009, 2:22:01 AM12/4/09
to Discuss Kosi
Himalayan tsunami
"I saw a huge wall of dark brown water approaching us"
It was an uncharacteristically sunny day for the monsoon, with
blindingly clear skies. Namgye Chumbi was weeding his potato garden in
Phakding by the Dudh Kosi on the morning of 4 August 1985.
There weren't too many trekkers on the trail. The Dudh Kosi was
tumbling noisily over boulders nearby. Around two in the afternoon,
the river went quiet. Namgye sensed danger.
"I noticed that the white water had turned muddy brown, and in the
distance I heard a thundering sound like an approaching helicopter,"
recalls the 50-year-old farmer. "I looked upstream and saw this huge
wall of dark brown water approaching very fast."
Namgye indicates the level of the river with his left hand and raises
his right hand over his head like a cobra to illustrate what he saw.
He dropped everything and began to run up the mountain. His wife,
Sherkima, had more presence of mind, and picked up their two young
children Hira and Tsering and followed her husband. They reached a
ledge as the thunderous flood raced by beneath their heels. The ground
was shaking, and the sound was deafening.
After his house and farm were washed away, Namgye rebuilt his home on
the top banks of the Dudh Kosi.
The family lost everything. If they had been just a few seconds
slower, they would have lost their lives as well. Their millet farm
upstream was cut in half, as the river changed its course and started
flowing through its terraces.
Nearly 25 years later, Namgye has built a new house higher up the
mountain, where his married children and four grandchildren live
together today. Namgye points out one boulder the size of his house in
the middle of the Dudh Kosi that was brought down by that terrible
flash flood.
The Dudh Kosi deposited debris up to 15 metres high downstream. The
water stayed muddy and high for two weeks until it finally started to
recede. Villagers in Jorsale and Phakding were puzzled that there was
a flood when there had been no rain; they only found out later that a
glacial lake called Dig Tso had burst upstream in the Bhote Kosi
Valley.
Namgye Chumbi still doesn't know the reason for the flood. He does
know there is another large lake called Imja Tso that may burst at any
time.
This was what scientists call a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF).
There is a major GLOF on a Himalayan river every ten years or so. A
major flood in 1983 caused by a glacial lake burst in Tibet washed
away 25 km of the Kodari Highway and put the Sun Kosi hydropower plant
out of action. The frequency of these floods is increasing because of
climate change.
http://www.nepalitimes.com.np/issue/2009/12/4/Nation/16563
"I saw a huge wall of dark brown water approaching us"
It was an uncharacteristically sunny day for the monsoon, with
blindingly clear skies. Namgye Chumbi was weeding his potato garden in
Phakding by the Dudh Kosi on the morning of 4 August 1985.
There weren't too many trekkers on the trail. The Dudh Kosi was
tumbling noisily over boulders nearby. Around two in the afternoon,
the river went quiet. Namgye sensed danger.
"I noticed that the white water had turned muddy brown, and in the
distance I heard a thundering sound like an approaching helicopter,"
recalls the 50-year-old farmer. "I looked upstream and saw this huge
wall of dark brown water approaching very fast."
Namgye indicates the level of the river with his left hand and raises
his right hand over his head like a cobra to illustrate what he saw.
He dropped everything and began to run up the mountain. His wife,
Sherkima, had more presence of mind, and picked up their two young
children Hira and Tsering and followed her husband. They reached a
ledge as the thunderous flood raced by beneath their heels. The ground
was shaking, and the sound was deafening.
After his house and farm were washed away, Namgye rebuilt his home on
the top banks of the Dudh Kosi.
The family lost everything. If they had been just a few seconds
slower, they would have lost their lives as well. Their millet farm
upstream was cut in half, as the river changed its course and started
flowing through its terraces.
Nearly 25 years later, Namgye has built a new house higher up the
mountain, where his married children and four grandchildren live
together today. Namgye points out one boulder the size of his house in
the middle of the Dudh Kosi that was brought down by that terrible
flash flood.
The Dudh Kosi deposited debris up to 15 metres high downstream. The
water stayed muddy and high for two weeks until it finally started to
recede. Villagers in Jorsale and Phakding were puzzled that there was
a flood when there had been no rain; they only found out later that a
glacial lake called Dig Tso had burst upstream in the Bhote Kosi
Valley.
Namgye Chumbi still doesn't know the reason for the flood. He does
know there is another large lake called Imja Tso that may burst at any
time.
This was what scientists call a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF).
There is a major GLOF on a Himalayan river every ten years or so. A
major flood in 1983 caused by a glacial lake burst in Tibet washed
away 25 km of the Kodari Highway and put the Sun Kosi hydropower plant
out of action. The frequency of these floods is increasing because of
climate change.
http://www.nepalitimes.com.np/issue/2009/12/4/Nation/16563
Dunu Roy
Dec 4, 2009, 12:04:58 PM12/4/09
to discus...@googlegroups.com
and the proof for the statement "The frequency of these floods is increasing because of
climate change" is found where?
climate change" is found where?
dunu
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Sankar Kumar Ray
Dec 10, 2009, 10:51:20 PM12/10/09
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Mr Dunu Roy's query is very judicious.
Permit me to recall a workshop in 2007 on climate change (organised by Nagarik Mancha) where an atmospheric physicist focussed on the debate on global warming to say that the final conclusion on either climate change or GH eludes us. Soumitra Ghosh of NESPON said, " Have the scientists the last word on climate change or global warming" in presence of four scientists of Cal Univ. They were mum. Activism by NGOs is praiseeworthy but why should we belittle science/ scientists.
SR
On Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:19:06 +0530 wrote
>and the proof for the statement "The frequency of these floods is increasing because ofclimate change" is found where?
dunu
On 12/4/09, Kosi Admin wrote:
Himalayan tsunami"I saw a huge wall of dark brown water approaching us"It was an uncharacteristically sunny day for the monsoon, with
blindingly clear skies. Namgye Chumbi was weeding his potato garden inPhakding by the Dudh Kosi on the morning of 4 August 1985.There weren't too many trekkers on the trail. The Dudh Kosi wastumbling noisily over boulders nearby. Around two in the afternoon,
the river went quiet. Namgye sensed danger."I noticed that the white water had turned muddy brown, and in thedistance I heard a thundering sound like an approaching helicopter,"recalls the 50-year-old farmer. "I looked upstream and saw this huge
wall of dark brown water approaching very fast."Namgye indicates the level of the river with his left hand and raiseshis right hand over his head like a cobra to illustrate what he saw.He dropped everything and began to run up the mountain. His wife,
Sherkima, had more presence of mind, and picked up their two youngchildren Hira and Tsering and followed her husband. They reached aledge as the thunderous flood raced by beneath their heels. The groundwas shaking, and the sound was deafening.
After his house and farm were washed away, Namgye rebuilt his home onthe top banks of the Dudh Kosi.The family lost everything. If they had been just a few secondsslower, they would have lost their lives as well. Their millet farm
upstream was cut in half, as the river changed its course and startedflowing through its terraces.Nearly 25 years later, Namgye has built a new house higher up themountain, where his married children and four grandchildren live
together today. Namgye points out one boulder the size of his house inthe middle of the Dudh Kosi that was brought down by that terribleflash flood.The Dudh Kosi deposited debris up to 15 metres high downstream. The
water stayed muddy and high for two weeks until it finally started torecede. Villagers in Jorsale and Phakding were puzzled that there wasa flood when there had been no rain; they only found out later that aglacial lake called Dig Tso had burst upstream in the Bhote Kosi
Valley.Namgye Chumbi still doesn't know the reason for the flood. He doesknow there is another large lake called Imja Tso that may burst at anytime.This was what scientists call a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF).
There is a major GLOF on a Himalayan river every ten years or so. Amajor flood in 1983 caused by a glacial lake burst in Tibet washedaway 25 km of the Kodari Highway and put the Sun Kosi hydropower plantout of action. The frequency of these floods is increasing because of
climate change.http://www.nepalitimes.com.np/issue/2009/12/4/Nation/16563--"Let's Discuss Kosi's Solution"
----------------------------You received this message because you are subscribed to the GoogleGroups "Discuss Kosi" group.To post to this group, send email to discus...@googlegroups.com
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Permit me to recall a workshop in 2007 on climate change (organised by Nagarik Mancha) where an atmospheric physicist focussed on the debate on global warming to say that the final conclusion on either climate change or GH eludes us. Soumitra Ghosh of NESPON said, " Have the scientists the last word on climate change or global warming" in presence of four scientists of Cal Univ. They were mum. Activism by NGOs is praiseeworthy but why should we belittle science/ scientists.
SR
On Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:19:06 +0530 wrote
>and the proof for the statement "The frequency of these floods is increasing because ofclimate change" is found where?
dunu
On 12/4/09, Kosi Admin wrote:
Himalayan tsunami"I saw a huge wall of dark brown water approaching us"It was an uncharacteristically sunny day for the monsoon, with
the river went quiet. Namgye sensed danger."I noticed that the white water had turned muddy brown, and in thedistance I heard a thundering sound like an approaching helicopter,"recalls the 50-year-old farmer. "I looked upstream and saw this huge
wall of dark brown water approaching very fast."Namgye indicates the level of the river with his left hand and raiseshis right hand over his head like a cobra to illustrate what he saw.He dropped everything and began to run up the mountain. His wife,
Sherkima, had more presence of mind, and picked up their two youngchildren Hira and Tsering and followed her husband. They reached aledge as the thunderous flood raced by beneath their heels. The groundwas shaking, and the sound was deafening.
After his house and farm were washed away, Namgye rebuilt his home onthe top banks of the Dudh Kosi.The family lost everything. If they had been just a few secondsslower, they would have lost their lives as well. Their millet farm
upstream was cut in half, as the river changed its course and startedflowing through its terraces.Nearly 25 years later, Namgye has built a new house higher up themountain, where his married children and four grandchildren live
together today. Namgye points out one boulder the size of his house inthe middle of the Dudh Kosi that was brought down by that terribleflash flood.The Dudh Kosi deposited debris up to 15 metres high downstream. The
water stayed muddy and high for two weeks until it finally started torecede. Villagers in Jorsale and Phakding were puzzled that there wasa flood when there had been no rain; they only found out later that aglacial lake called Dig Tso had burst upstream in the Bhote Kosi
Valley.Namgye Chumbi still doesn't know the reason for the flood. He doesknow there is another large lake called Imja Tso that may burst at anytime.This was what scientists call a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF).
There is a major GLOF on a Himalayan river every ten years or so. Amajor flood in 1983 caused by a glacial lake burst in Tibet washedaway 25 km of the Kodari Highway and put the Sun Kosi hydropower plantout of action. The frequency of these floods is increasing because of
climate change.http://www.nepalitimes.com.np/issue/2009/12/4/Nation/16563--"Let's Discuss Kosi's Solution"
----------------------------You received this message because you are subscribed to the GoogleGroups "Discuss Kosi" group.To post to this group, send email to discus...@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send email todiscuss-kos...@googlegroups.comFor more options, visit this group athttp://groups.google.com/group/discuss-kosi?hl=en
--
>
"Let's Discuss Kosi's Solution"
>
----------------------------
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