Intense Himachal rains topple Shimla tree, expose climate crisis risk

Hindustan Times

16 hours ago

As intense monsoon rains hit Himachal Pradesh for the third consecutive year, scientists and environmentalists have raised serious concerns over the increasing frequency of high-intensity rainfall, triggered by a dangerous combination of global warming, delayed western disturbances, and monsoonal systems. The Shimla tree fall is another sign of the Himalayan region's rising climate risk. (Representative image)(ITBP/ ANI)
The alarm was sounded following an incident early Thursday morning, when a massive deodar tree collapsed onto the Environment Directorate building in the US Club area of Shimla. The tree, which had been leaning precariously for days due to continuous rain, uprooted around 5:30 AM, causing partial damage to the building's roof and entrance gate. Fortunately, no casualties were reported.
Senior scientist on climate Change at the State Science and Technology and Environment Directorate, Dr. Suresh Kumar Atri, speaking to ANI, said the disaster was a clear consequence of prolonged and intense rainfall and a stark sign of changing climate patterns.
"This tree had been leaning dangerously for the last few days, especially after continuous rains," Atri said. "We had already written to the Municipal Corporation, alerting them. Today, at around 5:30 AM, the tree broke and fell. It caused significant damage to the building's metal roofing and gate, though luckily, there was no loss of life. Had this occurred during the day, it could have been disastrous." He said.
Atri, a climate scientist, emphasised that such incidents are becoming more frequent due to global warming and disrupted weather systems.
"The root cause of all this is global warming. It's leading to high-density rainfall events across not just Himachal, but the entire region," he explained. "If these global conditions persist, we will face even greater threats in the future." He said.
He also clarified the commonly misunderstood term "cloudburst," that everywhere rainfall is not a cloudburst and it doesn't burst like a balloon.
"There's no such thing as a cloud exploding, as people imagine. What actually happens is high-intensity rainfall in a very short span of time in a small geographical area. If 100 mm of rain falls within an hour over, say, 10-20 square kilometres, that qualifies as a cloudburst. For instance, in an area like Shimla, if 100 mm rain falls within an hour, it leads to flash floods a cloudburst-like situation. That's around 300 crore litres of water in a compact space, which overwhelms drainage systems and natural outlets." He said.
Atri warned that this phenomenon is not isolated or region-specific.
"These events don't only happen in remote areas. High-intensity rainfall can strike anywhere, anytime," he said. "In 2023, similar patterns led to devastating flash floods in Mandi district and even in parts of Uttarakhand, wiping out entire villages. The damage in Himachal alone crossed ₹10,000 crores last year." Said the scientist.
He noted that this year, the state has already suffered over ₹3,000 crore in damages, and the monsoon season is still far from over.
Dr. Atri further stressed the role of Arabian Sea warming and disturbed western disturbance patterns, which, when combined with the monsoon, result in extreme weather.
"The Arabian Sea has warmed significantly, and this affects the western disturbances, which bring rain. When these disturbances interact with the monsoon, especially in a delayed fashion, the result is catastrophic, intense rainfall, landslides, and floods. This exact combination led to widespread destruction last year and is repeating again," he warned.
Calling for urgent action, Attri advocated better watershed management and strict protection of natural drainage systems.
"We must keep our water channels and watersheds clear. Water must flow out without obstruction. People should avoid going near rivers and streams during such weather conditions," he advised.
The recent incident at the Environment Directorate building, while not fatal, serves as another reminder of the growing environmental vulnerabilities of Himalayan states. As monsoon patterns continue to evolve under the pressure of climate change, scientists are urging both the public and authorities to remain alert and to adapt proactively to this new climate reality.