Avalanche Hazards Around Kedarnath Temple, Mandakini River Valley, Uttarakhand – A Case Study

Abstract

The Shri Kedarnath town is located in the western extremity of the Central Himalaya (30°44′6.7″ N; 79°04′1″E) in the Mandakini River valley. This has a total catchment area of ∼67 km² (up to Rambara), out of which 23% area is covered by glaciers. In September 2022, avalanches were observed repeatedly in the mountains to the north of Kedarnath town. Based on aerial survey and ground observations of the area around Kedarnath, we found that the avalanches initiated ∼6 km (Aerial distance) uphill of the Kedarnath Temple from the peaks of the Mahalaya Parvat (5970 m asl) of the Companion Glacier adjacent to the Chorabari Glacier. The Companion Glacier does not have a well-defined accumulation zone but receives accumulation mostly from the avalanches. The run-out and deposition zones of the avalanches are located ∼5 km uphill of the Kedarnath Temple. The avalanche activity thus poses no threat to the Kedarnath Temple and township. In addition, fifteen avalanche sites (A1–A15) have been identified based on slope morphology, grass clearing, the presence of snow drifts, and debris cones in the area. We observed that the Temple of Shri Kedarnath Complex is located at a reasonably safe place as far as avalanche hazards are concerned.