A Climatic Surprise – Slope Instability Triggered by Heavy Rain in Maldevta Region, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, on 20 August, 2022

• DOI: 10.1007/s12594-023-2313-1
• Publication Date: 2023-03-26T21:05:47Z
• Authors: Kalachand Sain; Manish Mehta; Vinit Kumar; Vikram Gupta; Pankaj Chauhan
• Keywords: Surprise

Abstract The Himalayan states are familiar with the adverse impact of extreme events like excessive precipitations, which lead to floods, flash floods, landslides, debris flow, avalanches, etc. hence the disasters. The Uttarakhand (UK) state in the Himalaya experiences a great loss of lives, livestock, properties, and natural wealth due to such calamities. On the night of 19 August 2022 (10:15 PM) and early morning of 20 August 2022 (02:15 AM), heavy rain together with a cloud burst triggered flash floods in the Maldevta area of the Dehradun district, which led to large-scale destruction of the area. A prolonged heavy downpouring on 20 August 2022 at Maldevta and surrounding areas damaged the channel and bank of the Song and Baldi rivers for a 15 km stretch between Sarkhet and Thano, and completely washed away Sarkhet (807 m asl), Kumalta (787 m asl) and lower portion of Maldevta town (723 m asl).