With reference to National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) guidelines, discuss the measures to be adopted to mitigate the impact of the recent incidents of cloudbursts in many places of Uttarakhand.
Approach · directive: “discuss”
What it asks · Discuss measures for reducing loss from cloudbursts in the fragile Uttarakhand Himalaya, in line with NDMA's guidelines on floods and landslides.
It asks 2 things — answer each
- Explain: cloudbursts and why they cause such damage in Uttarakhand
- Discuss, with reference to NDMA guidelines: the measures to mitigate the impact of cloudbursts
Open with · Definition: NDMA's landslide guidelines call a cloudburst a rain storm of great intensity over a small area for a short duration, and IMD treats about 100 mm in an hour over 20-30 sq km as the threshold; in Uttarakhand's steep valleys it became Kedarnath in June 2013 and Pithoragarh and Chamoli in July 2016.
Cover
- Hazard: IMD describes a cloudburst as rainfall of about 10 cm (100 mm) or more in an hour over roughly 20-30 sq km; steep slopes and loose debris magnify its effect.
- Hazard mapping: landslide and flash-flood zonation at village scale, mapping of streams, and marking of unsafe sites, with maps used in planning and permissions.
- Regulation: no building in river beds, flood plains and steep unstable slopes; hill-specific building codes; controlled road, hydropower and tourism projects and safe disposal of muck.
- Early warning: more automatic weather stations and radar, rainfall thresholds and timely alerts to villagers and pilgrims through local channels and mobile alerts.
- Structural and eco measures: slope stabilisation with bio-engineering, retaining walls, drainage and check dams, and afforestation with native species on catchments.
- Preparedness and response: community-based disaster plans and volunteers, mock drills, trained SDRF and NDRF units, safe shelters, communication links and stock of relief.
- Recovery: rebuild safer, relocate vulnerable settlements, offer insurance and livelihood support, and monitor implementation of recommendations after each disaster.
Close with · Each measure maps onto the Sendai Framework's four priorities, from understanding risk to Build Back Better; applying them in the Himalaya is India's route to SDG 11.b, local disaster-risk strategies aligned with Sendai.
Add value (verified)
- NDMA's own definition of a cloudburst (glossary of the landslide guidelines).NDMA Guidelines: Management of Landslides and Snow Avalanches (2009), glossary ↗“Cloudburst Rain storm of great intensity usually over a small area for a short duration.”
- NDMA on map scale: 1:50,000 maps are only indicative; 1:10,000 or 1:5,000 maps are needed for detailed local landslide hazard zonation.NDMA Guidelines: Management of Landslides and Snow Avalanches (2009), hazard zonation mapping ↗“Maps of 1:1,00,000 or 1:50,000 scales are inappropriate for regional studies since these are only indicative and do not provide adequate details. Larger scale maps on 1:10,000 or 1:5,000 scale are taken up for detailed studies at the local level.”
- NDMA lists the Rishikesh-Badrinath pilgrimage route in Uttarakhand among the landslide stretches that have been disastrous.NDMA Guidelines: Management of Landslides and Snow Avalanches (2009), introduction ↗“the Rishikesh- Badrinath pilgrimage route in Uttarakhand, highways and roads in Darjeeling and Sikkim, and the Dimapur-Imphal and Shillong-Silchar National Highways in the North-Eastern region have been disastrous”
- Sendai Framework 2015-2030: four priorities for action, from understanding disaster risk to enhancing preparedness for effective response.UNDRR: Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 ↗“four priorities for action to prevent new and reduce existing disaster risks: (i) Understanding disaster risk; (ii) Strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster risk; (iii) Investing in disaster reduction for resilience and; (iv) Enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response”
- SDG 11.b wording: integrated plans for resilience to disasters and holistic disaster risk management in line with Sendai.UN SDG 11 targets (sdgs.un.org) ↗“climate change, resilience to disasters, and develop and implement, in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, holistic disaster risk management at all levels”
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2016, GS Paper III — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 3 Oct 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer· 293words · Minimalist IAS
NDMA defines a cloudburst as a rain storm of great intensity over a small area for a short duration; IMD's threshold is about 100 mm in an hour over 20-30 sq km. In Uttarakhand's steep, debris-laden valleys it meant Kedarnath in June 2013 and Pithoragarh and Chamoli in July 2016.
Why cloudbursts cause such damage in Uttarakhand
- Terrain and settlement: flash floods and landslides strike homes on river terraces and unstable slopes; NDMA names the Rishikesh-Badrinath pilgrim route as a disaster-prone stretch.
- Added debris: road cutting and hydropower muck feed swollen streams, and forecasts cannot yet pinpoint a cloudburst.
Measures to mitigate the impact, per NDMA guidelines
- Hazard zonation: NDMA calls 1:50,000 maps only indicative and wants 1:10,000 or 1:5,000 maps for local studies; make them, with stream and glacial-lake maps, binding on land-use and building permissions.
- Regulation: no building in river beds, floodplains and unstable slopes; hill building codes; controlled road, hydropower and tourism projects with safe muck disposal; pilgrim carrying-capacity limits.
- Early warning: dense automatic weather stations and Doppler radars, rainfall thresholds that trigger alerts, last-mile sirens and mobile alerts to villages and pilgrims.
- Structural and ecological: slope stabilisation, retaining walls, drainage and check dams, bio-engineering and native afforestation on catchments.
- Preparedness and response: community disaster plans and trained volunteers, mock drills, SDRF and NDRF pre-positioned in the monsoon, satellite phones and helipads.
- Recovery: build back safer, relocate high-risk hamlets, insurance and livelihood support, and act on every post-disaster review.
Cloudburst risk reduction: Hazard zonation; Land-use regulation; Early warning; Slope engineering; Community response; Build back safer
Each measure maps onto the Sendai Framework's four priorities, from understanding disaster risk to preparedness for effective response; applying them in the Himalaya is India's route to SDG 11.b, local disaster-risk strategies aligned with Sendai.
Prepared by Minimalist IAS to the answer standard of Shivam Singh (mentor, 7 years) · facts checked against official sources (how we verify) · updated 3 Oct 2026. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.
