Kedarnath flooding: A disaster that was waiting to happen
Was this a disaster waiting to happen, images from ISRO provide a chilling account of how vulnerable the area was. This is a three dimensional animation of the Kedarnath valley as captured by Indian satellites but before the recent inundation. The temple of Kedarnath is situated right in the middle of the river basin, surrounded by very high mountains. The twin glaciers of Chorabari can be seen just above the temple. Kedarnath the holy abode of Lord Shiva is situated at 3553 meters during the recent catastrophe the region received more than 440% of its usual rainfall. In the past no pilgrim was allowed to stay in Kedarnath overnight but the recent three fold boom seen in tourism led to a spate of construction in this valley. The cloud burst above Kedarnath led to the river channel overflowing and caused devastation in the region. (Video courtesy: ISRO)
