The growing sequence of sudden devastating floods in the Himalayan region of many states again warned that the price of random construction and nature is dead
On August 5, in Dharali village of Uttarakhand, clouds burst, inundation takes hundreds of lives. Six people fall asleep to death. The mourning of this devastation in Uttarakhand is not yet fulfilled that on August 14, clouds burst in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir and the lives of 60 people are swept away. After that, Uttarakhand again becomes a victim of the wrath of nature and this time cloudburst in Tharali in Chamoli district. The story of Himachal Pradesh is also no different. Between June 20 and August 16, 261 people have lost their lives due to cloudburst, floods and landslides. The same situation is in hilly states like Sikkim, Assam and Arunachal. It seems as if nature has started showing a rage form.
However, flood havoc is not limited to mountains only. During the rainy season, many parts of states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam and Andhra Pradesh are submerged in water. According to the Geological Survey of India (GSI), 12.5 percent of India’s area is flood-hit or there is a possibility of flooding. A report by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) increases anxiety. On an average, 75 lakh hectares of land is affected every year due to floods. In these areas, an average of 1600 lives every year and there is a loss of Rs 1805 crore.
Even though there may be less incidents like cloudburst in the plains, but sudden floods in rivers like Kosi, Teesta, Ganga and Brahmaputra have now become common. This year, water in big cities like Prayagraj, Varanasi, Patna, Mumbai and Guwahati stalled life. Javinia village of Bihar was completely absorbed in the Kosi river cutting. Disasters such as cloudburst, landslides and rupture of glacier lakes in the mountainous regions cause havoc. However, the question is whether it is completely natural or has human negligence made it more fatal? Why are the sudden flood problems increasing? Are there really measures to prevent such incidents?
Random construction
The sudden flood in Dharali once again proved that the mountains and the people settled there pay heavy prices for random construction. In the last two decades, along with tourist centers like Manali, Shimla, Rishikesh and Gattok, remote villages have also been victims of rapid urbanization. According to the 2011 census, the rate of urbanization in Himachal Pradesh was 10 percent and Uttarakhand’s 30.2 percent. Experts say that houses, hotels and shops without thinking closes natural drainage routes. This weakens the soil and increases the risk of landslides with floods in heavy rains.
People crossing temporary bridges in Kishtwar
The cutting of forests has deepened this crisis. In the mountainous areas, the forest area is decreasing from year to year. In Himachal Pradesh, 50 thousand more trees have been harvested in 10 years. According to the report of Global Forest Watch, between 2001 and 2024 in Uttarakhand, 1.2 percent forest area has ended. Actually, these forests used to act like a sponge earlier, which absorbed the rain water and gradually transport it to the rivers. With the harvesting of trees, water now comes directly into the rivers and becomes flood.
Hydropower projects have also hurt the mountains deeply. More than 50 small and big projects are going on in Uttarakhand itself. Scientists at the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology have repeatedly warned that explosion to build a tunnel, turning the path of rivers and destabilizing the dam building mountains. The Chamoli tragedy of 2021 is a great example of this, in which more than 200 people were killed. In October 2023, 35 people were killed and 104 went missing after Sikkim’s South Lhotian lake broke.
Tourism has also put heavy pressure on delicate ecology. In 2023, 5.8 crore tourists came to Uttarakhand, which is 5 times more than the population there. 1.6 crore tourists knocked in Himachal. Such a large number of tourists increase the demand for hotels, vehicles and roads, which increases the problem of pollution and waste.
It is a reality that the natural balance of the mountains is deteriorating and it can take the form of a serious disaster anytime. But even in the plains, the situation is not good. The most prominent reason here is the indiscriminate exploitation of natural resources. According to the Central Water Commission report, illegal mining of sand and stone spoils their natural flow from rivers. This makes the flood water out faster and breaks the edges. The reason for the harvesting of Javinia village in Bihar is also being described as illegal mining.
According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the rain pattern is changing. Earlier there was light rain for a long time, but now it rains heavy in a few hours, which causes flash floods. Scientists at Pune’s Indian tropical meteorological institute say that the amount of moisture in the air is increasing due to climate change, which has suddenly increased heavy rains.
The Himalayan region is particularly sensitive to climate change. In 2019, a report by the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development warned that even if global warming was limited to 1.5 ° C, one-third glaciers of the Himalayas would melt by the end of this century. Gangotri Glacier has retreated 1500 meters since 1935. The Hindu Kush Himalayan range is 3500 km long. It is spread over eight countries including India. If the global temperature rises 2 ° C, it may end 75 percent of its glacier by 2100. This will threaten the livelihood of crores of people dependent on rivers like Ganga and Brahmaputra.
Necessary to synergy with nature
The question is, what is the solution? A report on the NITI Aayog’s 2021 flood suggests that the Himalayan states will have to formulate a separate strategy rather than adopting flood control measures like plains. Dams and pucca embankments are not as effective here, as rivers are strong and the slopes are weak. Some experts are also of the opinion that the initial warning system and the reconstruction of natural drainage are more important to detect before the flood time. Lack of coordination between states is also a problem. For example, in Uttarakhand, a sudden released water from dams causes floods in a lower state like Uttar Pradesh.
The study of the National Institute of Disaster Management states that the master planning of the Himalayan towns is old and does not include the challenges of climate change. As a result, construction often occurs on the banks of landslides and flood affected areas or rivers, causing damage to the disaster.
Technology can also play an important role in dealing with this crisis. The Central Water Commission has started using AI and machine learning in association with Google. This gives the flood warning first. Odisha implemented the Early Warning Decision System for the first time in the country, which sends disaster warnings from the city to the village.
Flood -affected area in Patna
The thing to note is that no matter how many efforts are made, it is not possible to escape from the killing of nature. According to NITI Aayog, it is not possible to stop the flood completely. But its loss can be reduced. A tragedy like Dharali reminded us how important it is to take steps in time.
