A new study has highlighted the high frequency of mass wasting events in the Sedongpu Gully of the Tibetan Plateau since 2017 and the rapid warming of the area.
- It could be bad signs for India, specifically the country’s Northeast.
What is a mass wasting?
- A mass wasting is a geological event. It is gravity-influenced movement of rock and soil down a slope.
- A gully is a landform created by erosion from running water, mass movement or both.
About Sedongpu Gully
- The Sedongpu Gully is located in the catchment of the Sedongpu glacier and its valley in Tibetan Plateau.
- It is 11 km long and covers 66.8 sq. km.
- It drains into the Yarlung Zangbo, or the Tsangpo River, where it takes a sharp turn — called the Great Bend.
- The Great Bend is close to Tibet’s border with Arunachal Pradesh, where the Tsangpo flows as the Siang River.
- In Assam further downstream, the Siang meets the Dibang and Lohit to form the Brahmaputra, which flows as the Jamuna in Bangladesh.
Key concerns
- The Sedongpu study has serious implications for the Tsangpo-Siang-Brahmaputra-Jamuna, especially in India and Bangladesh.
- The most direct consequence could be the addition of major amounts of sediments to the course of the river, already one of the most sediment-laden rivers of the world.
- The sedimentation can elevate the river beds more, accentuating flood hazards.
- The channels of the river in Assam and Bangladesh may get choked with sand and silt in the lean season making navigation difficult and affecting livelihoods related to fishing.
(Source: The Hindu)
