Articles | Volume 23, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-23-1425-2023
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-23-1425-2023
Brief communication
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19 Apr 2023
Brief communication | Highlight paper |  | 19 Apr 2023

Brief communication: The northwest Himalaya towns slipping towards potential disaster

Yaspal Sundriyal, Vipin Kumar, Neha Chauhan, Sameeksha Kaushik, Rahul Ranjan, and Mohit Kumar Punia

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Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • AC1: 'Comment on nhess-2022-296', Vipin Kumar, 20 Jan 2023
  • RC1: 'Comment on nhess-2022-296', Anonymous Referee #1, 26 Jan 2023
  • RC2: 'Comment on nhess-2022-296', Anonymous Referee #2, 31 Jan 2023

Peer review completion

AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision | EF: Editorial file upload
ED: Publish subject to minor revisions (review by editor) (27 Feb 2023) by Kristen Cook
AR by Vipin Kumar on behalf of the Authors (06 Mar 2023)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Publish subject to minor revisions (review by editor) (10 Mar 2023) by Kristen Cook
AR by Vipin Kumar on behalf of the Authors (13 Mar 2023)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Publish as is (14 Mar 2023) by Kristen Cook
ED: Publish as is (14 Mar 2023) by Sven Fuchs (Executive editor)
AR by Vipin Kumar on behalf of the Authors (19 Mar 2023)  Author's response   Manuscript 
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Executive editor
This paper presents current research findings that have recently been caught up with reality. One of the case studies reported, Joshimath, experienced a large acceleration in slope deformation in January 2023 that has damaged and destroyed many homes and businesses and has created an atmosphere of uncertainty and unrest within the town. This has been covered in many international news outlets (e.g. BBC, CNN, Reuters, Le Monde), and has raised questions about development issues in at-risk areas in the Himalaya.
Short summary
The NW Himalaya has been one of the most affected terrains of the Himalaya, subject to disastrous landslides. This article focuses on two towns (Joshimath and Bhatwari) of the NW Himalaya, which have been witnessing subsidence for decades. We used a slope stability simulation to determine the response of the hillslopes accommodating these towns under various loading conditions. We found that the maximum displacement in these hillslopes might reach up to 20–25 m.
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