Sudden Increase in Water Level of Alaknanda Due to Melting of Glaciers | 17 May 2022

On May 16, 2022, due to the melting of glaciers in the catchment area of Alaknanda river in Chamoli district, the water level of the river suddenly increased, raising concerns about a new disaster in the district.

Considering the seriousness of the situation, an alert has been issued and SDRF teams have been deployed at the ghats along with the removal of people from the ghats.
It may be recalled that in February last year, a massive flash flood was witnessed in the Dhauli Ganga and Alaknanda rivers due to the breaking of a glacier in the Tapovan-Raini area of Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, causing severe damage to the Rishiganga power project.
The rapid melting of glaciers at Satopanth and Alkapuri Bank is responsible for the rise in the water level of the Alaknanda river.
Alaknanda is one of the two main streams of the Ganga. In fact, the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers are jointly known as Ganga after meeting at Devprayag.
Alaknanda originates from the Satopanth glacier. Its major tributaries include Dhauliganga, Nandakini, Pindar etc.