The people of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, who have somehow survived the onslaught of reckless development so far, are crying out in despair that within the next ten to fifteen years their very existence will vanish. If one carefully follows the news coming from these two Himalayan states these days, this painful cry does not appear exaggerated. How did these prosperous and peaceful states reach such a tragic condition? What feats of our policymakers and politicians pushed these states to the brink of destruction?
The Himalayas are a fragile ecosystem, where deforestation, unplanned urbanization, and climate change are driving natural disasters such as landslides, floods, and glacial melting. In 2012, the central government declared the Bhagirathi river’s Gaumukh–Uttarkashi catchment area as an “ecologically sensitive zone.” The purpose was to preserve ancient regions and regulate infrastructural activity, but both central and state governments failed to implement these regulations strictly.
According to the India Meteorological Department, Uttarakhand has witnessed a 20 percent decline in average snowfall over the past 50 years. The Geological Survey reports that since 1962, 30 percent of Himalayan glaciers have already melted, which has triggered increasing floods and landslides. Scientists attribute the 2013 Kedarnath floods, the sinking of land and buildings in Joshimath in 2021, the glacial lake outburst flood in Sikkim’s Teesta Valley in 2023, and repeated monsoon landslides and floods in Himachal Pradesh to reckless infrastructure development in ecologically and geologically fragile zones.
In 2018, the Disaster Management Department and the World Bank conducted a study which identified more than 6,300 landslide-prone zones in the state. Another report highlighted that infrastructure projects worth thousands of crores are being built by cutting mountains and clearing forests, which is further increasing the number of landslide zones. The Himalayas are not only still rising each year, but are also subject to continuous geological upheaval.
Trees play a critical role in holding soil and preventing erosion, the only natural way to stop mountains from collapsing. Blasting, tunneling, or tampering with their natural structure destabilizes the Himalayas and fuels frequent earthquakes. Hydropower projects, tunnels, and damming of perennial rivers disturb the mountains’ natural balance, and their long-term consequences emerge as multiple natural disasters.
In 2020, a Supreme Court-appointed high-powered committee reviewing the Char Dham Highway project recommended avoiding interference with sensitive mountain slopes. Yet, the opposite is happening. The surge in tourism has worsened matters, with hotels, houses, roads, and highways mushrooming across the Himalayas. A June 2022 report by the Govind Ballabh Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment warned of growing pressure on hill stations due to unchecked tourism.
A study by the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change, following a National Green Tribunal directive, revealed that in Manali, Himachal Pradesh, built-up areas including hotels, shops, and roads expanded from 4.7% in 1989 to 15.7% in 2012, and today exceed 25%. Tourist arrivals in the Himalayas surged by 5,600% between 1980 and 2023. Police records show that vehicle entries into Shimla have risen by 25% over the last two years. The city has parking capacity for only 6,000 vehicles, but during peak tourist season, 20,000 vehicles enter daily.
These human-made pressures are turning landslides, flash floods, and cloudbursts increasingly destructive. In the higher Himalayas, particularly in the valleys of small rivers, there are many locations where catastrophic events are highly likely. These disasters strike suddenly, rendering early warning systems ineffective. Traditionally, humans avoided settling in such zones, but in recent years this sensitivity has been ignored. The best solution is to educate local residents and legislate against large-scale settlements in high-risk zones.
The India Meteorological Department notes that glacier lake outburst floods (GLOFs), triggered by global warming and climate change, have caused massive destruction in this region. Extreme heat, severe cold, and erratic rainfall are visible impacts. Rising temperatures accelerate glacial melt, destabilizing lakes. A team from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) suspects that a “hanging glacier” feeding the Kheer Ganga channel may have played a role in the devastating Dharali flood of August 5.
Of the 28,043 glacial lakes across Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh, 188 pose imminent risks of disaster. Nearly 30 million people are under threat. These lakes are not just ecological hazards; when they overflow or their embankments collapse, they unleash floods that devastate downstream communities and disrupt river flows.
To safeguard the Himalayan ecosystem, sustainable development and conservation efforts are imperative. Governments, NGOs, and local communities must work together to protect the Himalayas while ensuring livelihoods for mountain residents. As Ravi Chopra, former director of the People’s Science Institute, Dehradun, points out: for Indian citizens dazzled by dreams of rapid economic growth, the time to heed climate warnings and demand safe, sustainable, and equitable development passed long ago. Recognizing and respecting nature’s limits is the most secure and rational path to survival and economic well-being.
---
*Bargi Dam Displaced Association
Comments