Kuwari Lake: Potentially Dangerous for Landslide Lake Outburst Flood (LLOF)

Abstract

Here a report of a lake of about one km in length that resulted from damming of a river by landslide near Kuwari village at the altitude of 1733 m asl and located between N 30o 5' 16"- 30o 5' 16" and E 79o 48' 30" - 79o 48' 29". On the basis of Google Earth images, it has been observed that a huge landslide took place from 16^th to 17^th June, 2013 and also in 2019 (as per the local sources) that blocked the Shambhu Gad (Baura Gad) in Bageshwar district and formed a huge lake, which covered ~15666 m² area. It was also observed that an old landslide was reactivated due to cloud burst or toe erosion and affected an area ~862913 m² between 2664 and 1761 m asl. The area affected by the landslide is ~4 km, the maximum width is about 650 m. In the vicinity of Kuwari village the impact of this Kuwari landslide also observed in the Jhaliya village (district Chamoli) established over south facing slope in the right bank of Pinder river. Both the villages are separated by E-W trending ridge (3700 m asl).