Huge rock mass broke from valley, triggering February flood in Uttarakhand's Chamoli: GSI

A report by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) has now revealed that a huge mass of rock and snow broke from a left valley of Raunthi Gad and crashed into the Rishiganga valley, triggering the massive flash flood in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on February 7 of this year.

A huge mass of rock and snow broke from a left valley of Raunthi Gad, crashing down in the Rishiganga valley and triggering a deadly flood in the Rishiganga river that wiped out a hydel power plant in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district in February, a report by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) has said. According to Saibal Ghosh, Director, Geo-hazard Research and Management (GHRM) Centre, GSI Central Headquarters, the event was initiated by a "snow/ice/rock" mass avalanche, along with a portion of jointed rock mass having an approximate dimension of 400m x 700m x 150m, from the left valley wall of Raunthi Gad (a left-bank tributary of the Rishiganga river).