Greed is killing the Himalayas, dams to Dhams. Dharali is paying the price

The Print

3 days ago

Infrastructure development is necessary in the mountains, but not at a pace and manner that threatens the ecological balance and disrupts the delicate ecosystem. The Supreme Court had warned that the state of Himachal Pradesh may 'vanish' if we continue to meddle with nature in the name of development.
The upper areas of the hillock that virtually dissolved in the cloudburst—although by some accounts it was just incessant rain—could be attributed to several tonnes of soil excavated and dumped into the Kheer Ganga river that was quietly flowing into Dharali. Thousands of trees, whose roots were holding the loose soil and preventing erosion, were reportedly cut down to construct a two-lane state highway in the hills, meant to benefit the tourism industry somewhere in the upper reaches of the mountain.
The initial reports of the flash flood that devastated Dharali village in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, attribute the tragedy to a cloudburst, which is not unusual in the mountains, especially during monsoon. While this might explain the volume of water, the massive mountain of silt and clay that flattened the village appears to be largely man-made.
Also Read: Flash floods due to heavy rainfall in Uttarkashi's Dharali, but IMD yet to confirm 'cloudburst'
Fragile beginnings
Natural imbalance leading to disasters can happen anywhere, including coastal areas, but the Himalayas are more vulnerable.
In just over three years, from January 2022 to March 2025, the fragile Himalayan region saw extreme weather events on 822 out of 1,186 days, according to data from India's Atlas on Weather Disasters, compiled by the Centre for Science and Environment and Down to Earth. In total, 2,863 people were killed in 13 Himalayan states and Union territories.
Several studies pertaining to the formation of the Himalayas, their ecological vulnerabilities, and possible sustainable solutions are being conducted. The fragility of the range lies not just in recent ecological damage, but also in its geological volatility.
The Himalayas are considered geologically young, as the mountain range and the Tibetan plateau were formed from the collision between the Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate, which began nearly 50 million years ago. As the southern landmass drifted northward, the Indian continental plate slowed to around 4-6 cm per year. This slowdown is believed to mark the beginning of the collision of the plates, the closing of the former Tethys Ocean, and the initiation of Himalayan uplift.
Some geologists suggest that Proto-India detached from the south-eastern margin of Africa and began to drift slowly northward until the Eurasian landmass intercepted it. The present Himalayan mountain range rose from the resulting faulting during this massive collision, which occurred in the latter part of the Tertiary Period. Fossil records show a massive spread of Eurasian fauna across the Indian landmass.
The tremendous energy released by this collision gradually dissipated, giving rise to some of Asia's most distinctive geographical features, including the compression of the Tibetan Plateau, the distortion of Asia's southern margin, and even the Annamite mountain range in Indochina.
According to research findings, the Deccan Plate is still 'inexorably moving northward', resulting in both Tibet and the Inner Himalayas being pushed upward even today.
The Himalayas are drained by 19 major rivers, of which the Indus and the Brahmaputra are the largest, each having mountain catchment basins of about 260,000 sq km. Five of the 19 rivers, with a total catchment area of about 132,000 sq km, belong to the Indus system—the Jhelum, the Chenab, the Ravi, the Beas, and the Sutlej—and collectively define the vast region divided between Punjab state in India and Punjab province in Pakistan. Of the remaining rivers, nine belong to the Ganges system, and three to the Brahmaputra system.
Glaciers also play an important role in draining the higher elevations and in feeding the Himalayan rivers. When this drainage system is disrupted, the consequences can be swift and catastrophic downstream.
Also Read: Linking trade and geopolitics will hurt US more than India
Put Himalayas above greed
Since time immemorial, for millions of Indians all over the world, Himalaya, literally meaning the 'temple of snow', is not just a mountain but the abode of the Gods, regarded and revered as one of the gateways to salvation.
Being the largest and highest of the mountain ranges, it is diverse in geology, ecology, communities, traditions, and heritage. Its natural timberline elevations are higher at the south-facing slopes, with altitudes differing by up to several hundred metres, affecting solar impact and radiation. Naturally, the sunny slopes are much more utilised for inhabitation, cultivation, and pastoral use.
Over the years, increasing habitation and seasonal influx of people, tourists, and illegal settlers have resulted in a disproportionate increase in population, unplanned urbanisation, ecologically damaging infrastructure development, and unrestricted tourist influx. There's an increasing threat to both its environment and socio-economic balance.
The ecological diversity in the Himalayan region plays a critical role in maintaining integration, interdependence, and sustainability of ecosystems. This can no longer be overlooked.
As a precautionary measure, all ongoing hydel projects should be suspended, and a serious review of the ecological damage should be conducted before re-starting them. Desilting work must be undertaken before the monsoon arrives, and this needs to be done with the help of machines to cover more area in less time and with better efficiency.
The political class, which depends on corrupt contractors for such crucial work, cannot escape blame for the havoc and loss of life caused by flash floods.
Pilgrimages like the Char Dham Yatra have continued for centuries without turning into tourism. The Himalayan states must work together to segregate these two social activities, instead of giving in to the lure of linking them. The extreme greed to extract commercial dividends from religion can be detrimental in the long run.
During its G20 presidency, India effectively showcased its worldview of vasudhaiva kutumbakam (the world is one family) and linked it to the Sustainable Development Goals. India's own development paradigm is built on a template of sustainability, aligned with the G20's priorities: green development, climate finance, and Life Style For Environment (LiFE); accelerated, inclusive, and resilient growth; accelerating progress on SDGs; technological transformation and digital public infrastructure; multilateral institutions for the 21st century; and women-led development.
While all these objectives are important for sustainable growth, the first one—green development, climate finance, and LiFE—is of greater salience and urgency, especially in the context of maintaining balance between utility and preservation of the natural boundaries of India: the oceans and the mountains, more importantly, the Himalayas. Let us not allow politics and commerce to play with them.
Seshadri Chari is the former editor of 'Organiser'. He tweets @seshadrichari. Views are personal.
(Edited by Asavari Singh)