A powerful cloudburst struck Dharali village in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand on Tuesday, unleashing a sudden deluge that devastated…
X/@GoHimachal_
A powerful cloudburst struck Dharali village in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand on Tuesday, unleashing a sudden deluge that devastated several hillside settlements and caused extensive damage to life and property. As per the latest updates, at least five people have lost their lives, while more than 100 are still missing. Rescue teams are working tirelessly to locate the missing amid the widespread debris and destruction.
The incident came after days of continuous monsoon rainfall in the region. The frequency and intensity of extreme weather events in Uttarakhand have increased significantly in recent years. From cloudbursts and flash floods to landslides and glacial lake outbursts, the state’s fragile Himalayan ecosystem is facing mounting pressure due to a combination of climate change, unregulated development, and deforestation.
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Cloudbursts on the Rise: New Research Raises Alarm
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A recent study published in the Journal of the Geological Society of India (July 2025) has confirmed growing fears that Uttarakhand is becoming a hotspot for extreme weather events. Conducted by researchers from Doon University, the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, and Delhi University, the study analysed satellite climate data from 1982 to 2020.
The findings show a sharp rise in rainfall variability, temperature, and surface runoff, with a significant spike in the frequency of cloudbursts and flash floods, particularly after 2010. Central and western Uttarakhand have emerged as the most affected regions.
Lead author Prof Y P Sundriyal attributed this surge to both regional climate shifts and global climatic phenomena like El Niño, the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), and the Indian Ocean Dipole. “Cloudbursts have become key indicators of Uttarakhand’s deepening climate vulnerability,” the study warned.
Nature and negligence: A deadly combination
Experts point to a combination of the region’s natural topography and unchecked human activity as reasons behind the increasing destruction. Uttarakhand’s steep, ecologically sensitive terrain allows moist monsoon winds from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal to rapidly rise and condense—creating ideal conditions for sudden cloudbursts.
However, environmentalists say that human intervention has dramatically amplified the damage caused by such events.
“The Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone (BESZ) — spanning over 4,179 sq km from Gaumukh to Uttarkashi — is being irreparably damaged by unregulated construction, deforestation, and rampant tourism,” said environmentalist Anoop Nautiyal in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
“Unplanned construction, massive deforestation, land use changes, vanishing rivers, encroachments, waste piling up in fragile areas — Uttarakhand is following Himachal’s reckless path,” he added. “This is a cruel and tragic existential crisis, fueled by state-sponsored development, the climate crisis, and human apathy.”
ESZ violations and infrastructure push draw scrutiny
In 2024, members of the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) monitoring committee raised alarms over multiple violations in Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) in Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand. These included a helipad under construction in Jhala village and several illegal multi-storeyed hotels in Maneri, Jamak, and near Uttarkashi town — all reportedly built along the Ganga’s banks in breach of ESZ regulations.
The controversial Char Dham highway project, particularly its Gangotri stretch, has also come under fire. Despite cutting through the ecologically fragile zone, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has claimed that the stretch does not require a separate Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
Independent experts and activists vehemently opposed this stance. “The bypassing of safety regulations and environmental laws, especially after disasters like the 2023 Silkyara tunnel incident, is completely unacceptable,” said ESZ committee member Mallika Bhanot in a statement to The India Forum.
She warned that the Char Dham Pariyojana, a project to widen roads to Uttarakhand’s pilgrimage sites, is being pushed ahead without adequate environmental safeguards. Over 10,000 trees were marked for felling along a 30-km stretch from Harsil to Gangotri — an action that experts believe could spell ecological disaster in the already fragile terrain.
According to Down To Earth, Over 25,300 trees have been cut and 373 hectares of forestland diverted for the Char Dham Mahamarg project, with thousands more likely lost to landslides triggered by construction, according to environmentalists. Native species like deodar trees have been marked for felling even in protected zones like the Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ), drawing sharp criticism from conservation groups.
In Uttarkashi, tree cutting was temporarily halted following a National Green Tribunal (NGT) petition, but concerns remain high as agencies like the Border Roads Organisation have already been penalised for illegally dumping debris into the Bhagirathi River. Experts warn that widespread deforestation, without proper slope stabilisation or Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), is dangerously destabilising the fragile Himalayan terrain, as per Down To Earth.
Himalayan warnings go unheeded
Scientific analyses by The Wire Science, Frontiers in Environmental Science, and other research platforms have repeatedly cautioned that unplanned urbanisation, deforestation, and infrastructure development are destabilising Himalayan slopes. This leads to increased surface runoff, landslides, disrupted drainage systems, and, ultimately, greater human and ecological losses during extreme weather events.
With Uttarakhand continuing to grapple with deadly floods, landslides, and now cloudbursts, the call for a more sustainable and ecologically sensitive approach to development in the Himalayas is growing louder than ever.
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