Аннотация: Two years - after the solution of the Bureya problem. A historical essay.
Two years - after the solution of the Bureya problem. A historical essay.
Two years ago, in the first half of February 2019, a canal was pierced in a huge spontaneous dam and a hydraulic connection was established between the cut off and the main parts of the spontaneous reservoir on the Bureya River (in the Verkhnebureinsky District of the Khabarovsk Krai, Russia). [The Bureya (Russian: Бурея) is a south-flowing, left tributary of the river Amur. - Wikipedia.].
In this regard, one can recall at least three notable events of a catastrophic nature. All of them are characterized by illegible descriptions, extremely laconic presentation of circumstances.
(So the most complete description of a similar catastrophic event and of a successful solution to the problem - it is our work - БУРЕЙСКИЙ ДНЕВНИК BUREYA JOURNAL (ВЛАДИМИР ЗАЛЕССКИЙ БУРЕЙСКИЙ ДНЕВНИК BUREYA JOURNAL by VLADIMIR ZALESSKI [in Russian and in English]). (Http://zhurnal.lib.ru /editors/z/zalesskij_w_w/bureyajournal.shtml)
The most "fresh" incident took place yesterday, February 7, 2021, in India.
'Seven were killed and 170 people were missing as a result of the melting of a glacier and resulting flooding in the Indian state of Uttarakhand on February 7 [2021], according to the press office of the State Center for Disaster Management in India. (...) Rescuers have removed 16 workers who were building the Tapovan power plant [Tapovan Vishnugad Hydropower Plant] from under the rubble, an operation is underway to rescue another group of workers in the tunnel.
As a result of the glacier descent, the water level in the Rishiganga [Rishi Ganga] River increased. This led to the destruction of the hydroelectric power plant located on the river, and also affected the unfinished power plant in Tapovan. " [unofficial translation] (https://rossaprimavera.ru/news/4d732d88?utm_source=yxnews&utm_medium=desktop)
This case attracts attention also because two power plants (located downstream of the catastrophic events) were damaged. - Downstream of the spontaneous dam (and spontaneous reservoir) on the Bureya River, there were also (and are) two power plants - one completed, the other under construction.
"The state authorities have begun to evacuate local residents from settlements along the river below the hydroelectric power station. In the cities of Srinagar, Rishikesh and Haridwar, emergency dumping of water out off dams to minimize damage." [unofficial translation] It is not very clear what is being done and why. But at the level of logical constructions, it can be assumed that the masses of water are moving downstream of the river, and the authorities of the settlements are preparing for the arrival of this mass of water.
If there is a wave, how high is it, how fast is it moving? - it's somehow difficult to find information about this in the news ...
So, we all have a reason to evaluate what an important job was done in January-February 2019 on the Bureya river. Especially - besides - after two power plants (on the Bureya river), at a distance of 300 kilometers (downstream) from the spontaneous dam the Chinese territory is already situating. (Remember the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, which became an international problem, and what followed).
In addition to the events of February 7, 2021 in India, we note - additionally - two major cases.
All of them were presented in the media space as a kind of a rather chaotic, higgledy-piggledy,
fragmentary stream of news - without a uniting into a coherent picture of causes, events and consequences.
Secondly, it is a landslide with the formation of a dammed lake in the Chinese province of Zhejiang (2016). Numerous casualties, significant destruction, huge costs of elimination of the consequences. 'October 9, 2016. (...) More than 1.6 thousand rescuers were mobilized for search and rescue operations. Over 270 vehicles pump water out of the dammed lake, crush rocks and clear obstructions. By Thursday, the water level in the lake dropped 10 meters from its highest point. " [unofficial translation] (https://www.gismeteo.ru/news/proisshestviya/21165-chislo-zhertv-opolznya-v-kitayskoy-provintsii-chzhyetszyan-dostiglo-18/)
Thirdly, this is an event that took place in relative proximity to the border of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
'08:51, May 5, 2020. (...) Due to the breakthrough [May 1, 2020] of the dam in Uzbekistan, 14 settlements in the south of Kazakhstan were flooded, more than 31 thousand people were evacuated from there. According to the regional authorities, 3.6 thousand hectares of cultivated areas were affected by flooding. (https://www.interfax.ru/world/707288) 'The construction of the reservoir in the Syrdarya region of Uzbekistan took seven years and was completed in 2017. It holds 922 million cubic meters of water. " [unofficial translation] (Https://rus.azattyq.org/a/30588029.html)
So, the works carried out (for the solving the Bureya problem) in the first half of February 2019 were highly effective. The work was carried out in a deserted area, in field conditions, in an environment of increased danger, at 30-40 degrees frost, with significant wind, in a Siberian winter, at a high scientific, technical and organizational level. Apparently, not a single person died while solving the Bureya problem. We, in any case, did not read about the relevant incident.
However, there is no information about the awarding of state awards to the participants of liquidation of consequences of emergency situations on the Bureya River. (About 300-600 people in uniform and several hundred civilians from various state and municipal bodies, organizations and departments participated - including Sergei Furgal who played a some, not the most significant, but still a useful, role).
In addition, we wrote on May 17, 2019: 'If Russia has such excellent specialists, that they were able to solve the "Bureya problem" at the highest level, then maybe it's usefull a little bit to activate some Central Asian friends of Russia.
I mean the problem of Lake Sarez.
If you read the comments of some "local" scientists about the "problem of the Sarez Lake", they will resemble the statements of "some scientists" about the attitude to the Bureya incident. (...)
So, mister Lavrov, these (potential) actions - it's a type of overtaking manoeuvre - provident, farsighted actions ... (...) We hope for you ... "(БУРЕЙСКИЙ ДНЕВНИК BUREYA JOURNAL).
Yes, while Russia still has (after the era of scientific and technical successes) highly qualified specialists. And it would be very useful to use them (before it's too late) for analysis and for solving the 'problem of the Sarez Lake'.
February 8, 2021 07:47
Translation from Russian into English: February 8, 2021 11:08.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский 'Два года - после решения Бурейской проблемы. Исторический очерк'.