A wake-up call for Uttarakhand: The human cost of unchecked development, environmental destruction

By Dr. Gurinder Kaur* 

On August 5, 2025, a cloudburst in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district caused significant destruction. A sudden surge in the Kheer Ganga river's flow triggered a flash flood that hit the town of Dharali, completely destroying 40–50 buildings and houses and claiming five lives. More than 100 people are still missing, including nine army personnel. Due to heavy rainfall and landslides, traffic has come to a complete halt on 163 roads and five national highways in the state. Rescue teams are continuously assisting people in the affected areas. A large number of pilgrims heading to Gangotri usually stay in Dharali, which is why there are many hotels, restaurants, and homestays in the town.

This is not the first disaster to strike Uttarakhand. Such incidents have been occurring repeatedly in the state over the past several years. The recent tragedy in Dharali has once again brought back painful memories of the 2013 Kedarnath disaster, during which thousands of pilgrims and local residents died. Thousands of locals lost their homes, and millions of pilgrims suffered the impact of the disaster for several days. Later, in 2021, flash floods triggered by glacial melting and landslides in Chamoli claimed the lives of 200 people. In January 2023, around 900 houses in Joshimath began sinking into the ground. An ISRO satellite report highlighted that Joshimath sank over 5 centimeters in just 13 days, between December 27, 2022, and January 8, 2023. Aside from these major incidents, many smaller disasters continue to occur every year.

Until the year 2000, Uttarakhand was part of Uttar Pradesh. This region is special because nature has blessed it not only with immense beauty but also with a vast treasure of natural resources. Ironically, its breathtaking landscapes and natural wealth have also become the cause of its tragedies. Taking advantage of the region’s natural beauty, the Uttarakhand government began promoting the state as a tourist destination and started expanding the road network. As a result, the total road length increased tremendously between 2000 and 2024.

After the Kedarnath tragedy in 2013, both local residents and environmental experts emphasized that any construction activity in Uttarakhand should first undergo a geological assessment. Unfortunately, in the name of economic development, unchecked construction continues in this hilly state.

The major reasons behind the increasing number of disasters in Uttarakhand include indiscriminate deforestation, rapid urbanization, the Char Dham road project, hydroelectric projects, tunnels being constructed by blasting mountains with explosives, altered river and stream flow patterns, ropeways, and helipads. Cities such as Mussoorie, Ranikhet, Nainital, Almora, and Joshimath have witnessed rapid development. The fast-paced development of these cities is linked to their natural beauty, which attracts large numbers of tourists. Moreover, the sacred Hindu Char Dham shrines—Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath, and Kedarnath—are also located in this state. Alongside these, Rishikesh, Haridwar, and the famous Sikh pilgrimage site Hemkund Sahib are also situated here. The state government has started commercially exploiting the combination of natural beauty and religious tourism in the name of economic growth. Four-lane roads are being constructed to connect these places. As a result, the number of tourists and pilgrims has been increasing rapidly every year. The number of tourists rose from 1.11 crore (11.13 million) in 2000 to 5.96 crore (59.6 million) in 2023.

Without consulting experts, large hotels have been constructed in river basins, narrowing the natural flow paths of rivers. As a result, during periods of heavy rainfall, these constructions are washed away by the force of the rivers. Often, even entire villages get swept away, leading to tragic consequences for local communities.

The use of explosives to deforest and blast mountains has further destabilized the region. During the monsoon season, these barren and weakened slopes begin to slide because they cannot maintain their natural balance. According to an ISRO report, Uttarakhand witnessed 11,219 incidents of landslides between 1988 and 2022. A report by the Geological Survey of India states that 39,000 square kilometers (72 percent) of Uttarakhand is prone to landslides. In such sensitive areas, any form of construction—be it roads, tunnels, buildings, or large projects—can lead to catastrophic outcomes. In 2023, a section of the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel on the Uttarkashi-Yamunotri road collapsed, trapping 41 laborers who were rescued only after 17 days of intensive efforts.

Therefore, before undertaking any construction or project in sensitive zones of Uttarakhand, the state and central governments must consult geologists, environmental experts, and local communities. The width of roads in mountainous regions should be limited to 8–10 meters, as is the standard in many European countries, to help maintain the ecological balance of the mountains.

To preserve the existence of Uttarakhand and other hilly states in India, the central and state governments must ensure that development in hilly regions is not modeled on that of the plains. Development plans for these regions must be based on their unique geographical and ground realities. When building dams, it is essential to safeguard the natural existence and flow of rivers. There should be strict legal restrictions on construction within river basins to protect both the people and the environment of hilly states from disasters.

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*Former Professor, Department of Geography, Punjabi University, Patiala