Second landslide in Tibet blocks Dri Chu and Yarlung Tsangpo

 

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Nov05, 2018– A new barrier lake has formed after another large landslide hit Bolo Township in Chamdo (Qamdo) City of Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) on Nov 3 evening, blocking a section of Jinsha River, part of the headwaters system of Yangze River known in Tibetan as the Drichu. Emergency response was initiated on Nov 3 night, with nearly 6,000 people including locals and power station staff in the lower reaches of Jinsha River being evacuated as of 7 am on Nov 4, reported China’s official Xinhua news agency Nov 4.

The previous landslide had led to the formation of a barrier lake and rising water levels near the same spot on Oct 11. However, water levels returned to normal on Oct 14 with no casualties reported. It had led to more than 24,600 residents in 15 counties in Chamdo City and nearby Tibetan areas in Sichuan Province living within 300 kilometres (186 miles) downstream from the point of the blockage being evacuated.

Xinhua said the volume of the landslide this time was estimated at over three million cubic metres.

Several hydrometric stations in the city of Qamdo observed that the water level of Jinsha River rose quickly in the wake of the landslide, with one station has already been inundated, the report said.

TAR authorities have been cited as saying the two landslides had led to about 100 houses collapsing and more than 1,000 houses being damaged. Over 8,300 residents had been relocated, with over 5,000 still living in temporary relocation sites, the report added.

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Nov01, 2018 – The feared second landslide near Gyalha Village in Menling County of Tibet’s Nyingtri City has materialized on Oct 27 morning, resulting in the formation of a second barrier lake on the Yarlung Tsangpo river. China has alerted India about the development to enable it to be prepared for possible flood in downstream Arunachal Pradesh and Assam states should there be a sudden breach in the barrier lake.

A circular issued Oct 30 by Arunachal’s Upper Siang District Commissioner Duly Kamduk was cited as saying there was an unprecedented decrease in the volume of water in the Siang river at Tuting since Oct 29 night.

The sentinelassam.com Oct 31 cited India’s Central Water Commission as having tweeted, “As per latest information received from ##Chinese side, the estimated blocked water storage volume at landslide location (#Milin Section of #Yarlung #Zangpo in #Chinese Territory) at 6.30 hrs IST (9 hrs Chinese time) on 31st Oct 2018 is 337 MCM.”

The river was previously blocked by an early morning landslide on Oct 17. It resulted in the creation of a 75-meter-deep barrier lake that held 550 million cubic metres of water at its peak. However, dangers of a devastating flood receded as a result of an Oct 19 afternoon breach which reopened the river’s flow without causing a flood.

India’s Central Water Commission has also said, “This time the landslide occurred at the same place and has again led to the creation of an artificial lake, which has now started breaching. However, the situation is not (as) grave as it was a fortnight ago.”

The Yarlung Tsangpo is referred to as Siang River in Arunachal Pradesh and the Brahmaputra River as it courses through the rest of India before entering Bangladesh.

source:http://www.tibetanreview.net