Planning Strategies For A Challenging Floodplain Settlement, Case Of Kedarnath, Uttarakhand

Abstract

Kedarnath is a small town located in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand in India with a population of 612 (Census, 2011) and spread over an area of approximately 2.5 sq. km at elevation of 3583m from sea level. It is in Garhwal Himalayan ranges which are prone to catastrophes such as floods, landslides, earthquakes, cloud bursts, and glacial lake outbursts. Additionally, the town is situated between the holy rivers, Saraswati and Mandakini making the town fragile and unstable. The temple is one of the chota char dhams and one of the twelve jyotirlingas making it a significant Hindu shrine. Due to extreme weather conditions, the temple remains open for a specific period of six months. The Kedarnath flood was a hydro meteorological incident which stroked down the town during June 2013 impacting the settlement largely. Anthropogenic actions are responsible for the Kedarnath flood catastrophe and unfavourable geographic circumstances were to blame for the flash flood, ecological damage, loss of life, and socioeconomic structure of human existence in Kedarnath, Uttarakhand. The restoration works are carried out after the new government came into action in 2014 with collaborations of private and public consultations, Kedarpuri (Kedarnath temple area) master plan was prepared, targeted in 2022. Presently, Kedarnath pilgrimage routes are open for tourists until future announcements and the adventure activities are also conducted there. The study is carried out to identify the gaps in the disaster management planning and implementation. Various government reports, media articles, disaster guidelines and reports, GIS maps among others are analyzed to understand the damage caused and potential measures for development against future challenges. Development strategies for floodplains and seismic zone are provided in terms of town and country planning. The paper is an endeavor to assist the concerned authorities, researchers and communities working to resolve and minimize the planning issues escalated due to such incidents.