Devastation in Dharali spotlights climate change, indiscriminate construction
Experts said the impact was expected to be particularly devastating because of the extent of construction on what appears to be the riverbed of Khir Ganga
NEW DELHI: Horrifying visuals showing floodwaters and mud surging down a mountain and crashing into Uttarakhand’s Dharali, washing away homes, hotels and a market in the Bhagirathi Ecosensitive Zone on Tuesday have once again put the spotlight on the impact of climate change in the upper reaches of the Western Himalayas.
Experts said the impact was expected to be particularly devastating because of the extent of construction on what appears to be the riverbed of Khir Ganga, a tributary of the Bhagirathi. For now, officials have only confirmed four deaths but stressed that dozens were still missing.
A status note on Tuesday evening by the Central Water Commission said a series of extreme weather events in the form of suspected cloudbursts occurred in quick on Tuesday in the Uttarkashi district, causing widespread damage and potential casualties. The first incident took place in Dharali, near Harshil, around 1pm.
In Dharali, a suspected cloudburst occurred in Dharali village near Harshil, resulting in a heavy discharge of water and debris. Approximately 15 residential houses and 6-7 shops were severely damaged or washed away. Dozens of people are reported missing,as per initial information received from local sources. A local mela (festival) was ongoing in the area at the time, contributing to a larger gathering and possibly increasing the number of affected individuals, the note said.
The second incident took place between Harshil and Gangnani (Near Sukki Top), around 3pm. An assessment of damage and human impact is currently underway.
A third cloudburst occurred near the army camp in Harshil, leading to a flash flood-like situation in the area. The Harshil helipad has reportedly been submerged due to heavy water inflow, which may impact aerial evacuation and relief operations.
The situation remains critical, and local administration along with SDRF and police teams are on the ground for search, rescue, and relief operations. Weather conditions and terrain challenges are affecting accessibility in some pockets, according to the agencies.
IMD director general M Mohapatra said there had been extremely heavy rainfall of over 30cm in parts of Uttarakhand in the past 24 hours. “As you can see from the video, extremely heavy rain may have occurred in very high reaches. We have no way to monitor if it was in fact a cloud burst. But we know that there was extremely heavy rain,” he said.
“The monsoon trough has been to the north of its normal position for the past three days causing concentrated, heavy rain only over the Himalayan foothills. When such continued rainfall occurs, in certain areas, the soil saturates and water overflows. The water is seen flowing downstream. There is also a cyclonic circulation over Bihar and surrounding regions, accentuating the impact,” Mohapatra added.
Mallika Bhanot, environmentalist and member of Ganga Ahvaan, a civil society collective, said they had been seeing a major escalation in extreme weather events and associated disasters since 2018.
“Even before the Kedarnath disaster in 2013, there were two major cloudbursts in Assi Ganga and Ukhimath. But after 2018, we saw a huge spike in landslides in all the valleys. In 2021, there was the Rishi Ganga disaster in which 200 workers were killed in the tunnel after the glacier fell apart. Then there was the Joshimath land sinking, the Silkayara tunnel and a major rain disaster in Yamuna valley this monsoon. It is relentless. We are 100% sure that cloudburst frequency has gone up. The impact of cloudburst is also much more devastating now because of the amount of debris involved. Glaciers are melting and the debris from the glaciers are flowing with the river water. This is causing extensive damage every time,” Bhanot said.
“It is very important to note that the increase in disasters in Uttarakhand is not only because of climate change. You can see the anthropogenic signature in every such disaster. In the videos, we can see hotels and big buildings right on the riverbed. The river will take its route. It is only natural to expect that it will flow freely. Any hindrances to its flow will obviously cause disasters. The massive increase in landslides is again completely linked to road construction on the Char Dham route,” added Bhanot.
Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari told Parliament last year that the last 150km-long stretch of Char Dham road, which will pass through the Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone, would have to adhere to a minimum width of 10 metres.
At the time, the minister had underlined that the road had to be wide enough to move defence equipment, considering the strategic nature of the stretch which connects with the India-China border. He acknowledged that the stretch was landslide-prone and that efforts were being made to compensate for the loss of trees on the Char Dham route.
“This is about the Bhagirathi Eco-sensitive zone. This matter was in the Supreme Court. We had a meeting on this matter under the Chairmanship of Justice Sikri. We had discussions on this matter with MPs from Uttarakhand and minister from Uttarakhand,” Gadkari said in response to a question by Congress MP Ranjeet Ranjan.
Ranjan asked if the last stretch, which is yet to be constructed in the Bhagirathi Eco-sensitive Zone, would have a width of 10 to 12m like the rest of the Char Dham route.
Gadkari said, “Now the problem is not whether the width of the road should be 10m or less on the 150m stretch. The issue is that this is a strategic point which is going up to the China border. I cannot speak any more on this. But the road should be wide enough to move defence equipment because of the China border so 10m minimum is required.”
