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Time of India
5 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Uttarkashi flash flood: Kheer Gad reclaims course, crushes bazaar, buildings on riverbed
Image Credit: TOI DEHRADUN: The Kheer Gad did not veer from its path - it followed the course it had always known. On a grey, rain-heavy Tuesday in Dharali, the stream surged back through low-lying ground where homes, shops and a riverside bazaar had gradually been built over time. Much of what stood there is now gone. Geologists studying the aftermath of the Uttarkashi flash flood say the destruction in Dharali was not random, not unpredictable, not even extraordinary in the broader logic of Himalayan rivers. It was, in fact, inevitable. Even from distance, destruction appears almost diagrammatic The bazaar and the buildings that once stood as the village's spine had been constructed, quite plainly, on the river's ancient bed — on soft alluvial ground laid down by the Kheer Gad itself over centuries. What occurred was not a deviation, but a return. Prof MPS Bisht, head of the geology department at HNB Garhwal University in Srinagar, called it a lesson in basic river dynamics. 'When a river flows around a bend,' he said, 'it typically takes on a convex and concave shape. The water strikes harder on the convex side—this is where scouring and erosion take place. On the concave side, the flow slows, and sediments collect.' This rule, he said, revealed itself with 'devastating clarity' during the flood. The stream, thick with debris and charged with monsoon force, surged against the outer bank where the bazaar had grown. Buildings there were flattened in moments. But the homes on the gentler, inner bank—where silt had built up over time—escaped. To imagine Dharali now is to rely not on witness accounts—none have come from outside since the flood—but on satellite images, drone footage, and the testimony of geologists who have studied the terrain before. Yet, even from a distance, the shape of the destruction appears deliberate, almost diagrammatic. One side of the village lies gouged clean, the other remarkably intact, as if the flood followed an invisible instruction. In 2013, senior geologist Piyoosh Rautela said, the same stream buried the national highway beneath a surge of debris. 'We have forgotten the river's right of way,' Rautela said. 'Himalayan rivers are not gentle flows you can negotiate with. They are geomorphic agents. They carved these valleys. Their floodplains are not real estate. They are part of the river.'
Economic Times
6 days ago
- Climate
- Economic Times
From Kedarnath to Dharali: Uttarakhand's unheeded warnings and rising disasters
The death and destruction left behind by the flash floods in the Kheer Ganga river in Dharali resurrected painful memories for Geeta, a survivor of the 2013 Kedarnath disaster, who lost four family members in that tragedy, India's worst since the 2004 tsunami."The same thing happened in Kedarnath," she exclaimed as visuals played out on a television at a house in New Delhi where she now works as a domestic 2013 disaster was triggered by more than 300 mm of rain in 24 hours as an early intense monsoon surge interacted with a western disturbance. The extreme rainfall, combined with rapid snowmelt, breached the moraine dam of Chorabari Lake, unleashing massive floods that killed around 5,700 by the tragedy, Geeta (now 45 years old) and her family migrated to Delhi to rebuild their lives. But each time a hits the Himalayan state, it revives those haunting memories for the past 12 years, a series of disasters have underscored the fragility of the Himalayan terrain. On August 18, 2019, a cloudburst in Tikochi and Makudi villages in Uttarkashi's Arakot region triggered flash floods and landslides, killing at least 19 people and affecting 38 February 2021, the collapse of a hanging glacier caused a debris flow in the Ronti Gad stream, a tributary of Rishiganga, sweeping away two hydropower projects in Chamoli. Eighty bodies were recovered, and 204 people went August the next year, flash floods caused by a cloudburst in the Maldevta-Song-Baldi river system washed away large parts of the Maldevta town near Dehradun, affecting a 15 km Dharali disaster, experts say, shares features with the 2021 Chamoli tragedy. "It is similar to Chamoli, and rainfall is just one factor. We need high-resolution satellite data or ground verification to know more," HNB Garhwal University Professor Y P Sundriyal said. The 2021 Chamoli disaster impacted an area spanning 20-22 km but did not affect the Alaknanda downstream.A study published last month in the Journal of the Geological Society of India has confirmed a sharp rise in extreme rainfall and surface runoff events in Uttarakhand after research, led by Professor Sundriyal, shows that while 1998-2009 saw warming and low rainfall, the trend reversed post-2010, with central and western Uttarakhand witnessing more extreme precipitation events."Data from 1970 to 2021 shows a clear increase in extreme rainfall events after 2010," Sundriyal told state's geology compounds its slopes, young and fragile formations prone to erosion and tectonic faults such as the Main Central Thrust make the terrain unstable. The orographic effect of the Himalayas forces moist air upwards, leading to intense localised rainfall, while unstable slopes magnify the risk of landslides and flash floods.A November 2023 study published in the Natural Hazards journal, analysing disaster data between 2020 and 2023, recorded 183 incidents in Uttarakhand during the monsoon months alone. Landslides accounted for 34.4 per cent of these, flash floods 26.5 per cent and cloudbursts 14 per Centre for Science and Environment's Atlas on Weather Disasters shows that between January 2022 and March 2025, the 13 Himalayan states and Union territories reported extreme weather events on 822 days, claiming 2,863 say these natural factors are worsened by human activity. Unregulated road-building, deforestation and construction of tourism infrastructure and settlements on unstable slopes or riverbanks have increased disaster activist Anoop Nautiyal said repeated tragedies in Kedarnath, Chamoli, Joshimath, Sirobagad, Kwarab, and Yamunotri have not altered Uttarakhand's development trajectory."If anything, ecological degradation and haphazard development are accelerating due to flawed policies and projects," he campaigner Harjeet Singh described the Uttarkashi tragedy as "a deadly mix of global warming-fuelled monsoon extremes and unscientific, unsustainable construction in the name of development".The threats are not limited to extreme rainfall and landslides. Climate change is rapidly transforming the region's glaciers, creating new hazards in the form of swelling glacial has more than 1,260 glacial lakes, with 13 identified by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) as high risk and five as extremely dangerous. These lakes pose major downstream threats, especially as warming accelerates glacial Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology has repeatedly warned about the dangers posed by hanging glaciers and glacial lakes. After the Chamoli disaster, its scientists flagged the role of freeze-thaw cycles in destabilising glaciers. NDMA's 2020 guidelines on Glacial Lake Outburst Floods called for mapping high-risk lakes, enforcing land-use restrictions and using remote monitoring to track potential breaches. Similarly, a 2013 review by the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People said unregulated hydropower projects and hill-cutting had amplified risks in the fragile terrain, but its recommendations were multiple expert reports, policy and enforcement have failed to match the scale of the threat. As Uttarakhand reels from yet another disaster, the question remains whether the warnings from scientists will finally be heeded before another tragedy strikes.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Climate
- Time of India
From Kedarnath to Dharali: Uttarakhand's unheeded warnings and rising disasters
The death and destruction left behind by the flash floods in the Kheer Ganga river in Dharali resurrected painful memories for Geeta, a survivor of the 2013 Kedarnath disaster, who lost four family members in that tragedy, India's worst since the 2004 tsunami. "The same thing happened in Kedarnath," she exclaimed as visuals played out on a television at a house in New Delhi where she now works as a domestic help. Productivity Tool Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide By Metla Sudha Sekhar View Program Finance Introduction to Technical Analysis & Candlestick Theory By Dinesh Nagpal View Program Finance Financial Literacy i e Lets Crack the Billionaire Code By CA Rahul Gupta View Program Digital Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Neil Patel By Neil Patel View Program Finance Technical Analysis Demystified- A Complete Guide to Trading By Kunal Patel View Program Productivity Tool Excel Essentials to Expert: Your Complete Guide By Study at home View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals Batch 2 By Ansh Mehra View Program The 2013 disaster was triggered by more than 300 mm of rain in 24 hours as an early intense monsoon surge interacted with a western disturbance. The extreme rainfall, combined with rapid snowmelt, breached the moraine dam of Chorabari Lake, unleashing massive floods that killed around 5,700 people. Scarred by the tragedy, Geeta (now 45 years old) and her family migrated to Delhi to rebuild their lives. But each time a hits the Himalayan state, it revives those haunting memories for her. Over the past 12 years, a series of disasters have underscored the fragility of the Himalayan terrain. Live Events On August 18, 2019, a cloudburst in Tikochi and Makudi villages in Uttarkashi's Arakot region triggered flash floods and landslides, killing at least 19 people and affecting 38 villages. In February 2021, the collapse of a hanging glacier caused a debris flow in the Ronti Gad stream, a tributary of Rishiganga, sweeping away two hydropower projects in Chamoli. Eighty bodies were recovered, and 204 people went missing. In August the next year, flash floods caused by a cloudburst in the Maldevta-Song-Baldi river system washed away large parts of the Maldevta town near Dehradun, affecting a 15 km stretch. The Dharali disaster, experts say, shares features with the 2021 Chamoli tragedy. "It is similar to Chamoli, and rainfall is just one factor. We need high-resolution satellite data or ground verification to know more," HNB Garhwal University Professor Y P Sundriyal said. The 2021 Chamoli disaster impacted an area spanning 20-22 km but did not affect the Alaknanda downstream. A study published last month in the Journal of the Geological Society of India has confirmed a sharp rise in extreme rainfall and surface runoff events in Uttarakhand after 2010. The research, led by Professor Sundriyal, shows that while 1998-2009 saw warming and low rainfall, the trend reversed post-2010, with central and western Uttarakhand witnessing more extreme precipitation events. "Data from 1970 to 2021 shows a clear increase in extreme rainfall events after 2010," Sundriyal told PTI. The state's geology compounds its risk. Steep slopes, young and fragile formations prone to erosion and tectonic faults such as the Main Central Thrust make the terrain unstable. The orographic effect of the Himalayas forces moist air upwards, leading to intense localised rainfall, while unstable slopes magnify the risk of landslides and flash floods. A November 2023 study published in the Natural Hazards journal, analysing disaster data between 2020 and 2023, recorded 183 incidents in Uttarakhand during the monsoon months alone. Landslides accounted for 34.4 per cent of these, flash floods 26.5 per cent and cloudbursts 14 per cent. The Centre for Science and Environment's Atlas on Weather Disasters shows that between January 2022 and March 2025, the 13 Himalayan states and Union territories reported extreme weather events on 822 days, claiming 2,863 lives. Experts say these natural factors are worsened by human activity. Unregulated road-building, deforestation and construction of tourism infrastructure and settlements on unstable slopes or riverbanks have increased disaster risk. Environment activist Anoop Nautiyal said repeated tragedies in Kedarnath, Chamoli, Joshimath, Sirobagad, Kwarab, and Yamunotri have not altered Uttarakhand's development trajectory. "If anything, ecological degradation and haphazard development are accelerating due to flawed policies and projects," he claimed. Climate campaigner Harjeet Singh described the Uttarkashi tragedy as "a deadly mix of global warming-fuelled monsoon extremes and unscientific, unsustainable construction in the name of development". The threats are not limited to extreme rainfall and landslides. Climate change is rapidly transforming the region's glaciers, creating new hazards in the form of swelling glacial lakes. Uttarakhand has more than 1,260 glacial lakes, with 13 identified by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) as high risk and five as extremely dangerous. These lakes pose major downstream threats, especially as warming accelerates glacial melt. The Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology has repeatedly warned about the dangers posed by hanging glaciers and glacial lakes. After the Chamoli disaster, its scientists flagged the role of freeze-thaw cycles in destabilising glaciers. NDMA's 2020 guidelines on Glacial Lake Outburst Floods called for mapping high-risk lakes, enforcing land-use restrictions and using remote monitoring to track potential breaches. Similarly, a 2013 review by the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People said unregulated hydropower projects and hill-cutting had amplified risks in the fragile terrain, but its recommendations were ignored. Despite multiple expert reports, policy and enforcement have failed to match the scale of the threat. As Uttarakhand reels from yet another disaster, the question remains whether the warnings from scientists will finally be heeded before another tragedy strikes.
News18
6 days ago
- Climate
- News18
From Kedarnath to Dharali: Uttarakhands unheeded warnings and rising disasters
Last Updated: New Delhi, Aug 6 (PTI) The death and destruction left behind by the flash floods in the Kheer Ganga river in Dharali resurrected painful memories for Geeta, a survivor of the 2013 Kedarnath disaster, who lost four family members in that tragedy, India's worst since the 2004 tsunami. 'The same thing happened in Kedarnath," she exclaimed as visuals played out on a television at a house in New Delhi where she now works as a domestic help. The 2013 disaster was triggered by more than 300 mm of rain in 24 hours as an early intense monsoon surge interacted with a western disturbance. The extreme rainfall, combined with rapid snowmelt, breached the moraine dam of Chorabari Lake, unleashing massive floods that killed around 5,700 people. Scarred by the tragedy, Geeta (now 45 years old) and her family migrated to Delhi to rebuild their lives. But each time a hits the Himalayan state, it revives those haunting memories for her. Over the past 12 years, a series of disasters have underscored the fragility of the Himalayan terrain. On August 18, 2019, a cloudburst in Tikochi and Makudi villages in Uttarkashi's Arakot region triggered flash floods and landslides, killing at least 19 people and affecting 38 villages. In February 2021, the collapse of a hanging glacier caused a debris flow in the Ronti Gad stream, a tributary of Rishiganga, sweeping away two hydropower projects in Chamoli. Eighty bodies were recovered, and 204 people went missing. In August the next year, flash floods caused by a cloudburst in the Maldevta-Song-Baldi river system washed away large parts of the Maldevta town near Dehradun, affecting a 15 km stretch. The Dharali disaster, experts say, shares features with the 2021 Chamoli tragedy. 'It is similar to Chamoli, and rainfall is just one factor. We need high-resolution satellite data or ground verification to know more," HNB Garhwal University Professor Y P Sundriyal said. The 2021 Chamoli disaster impacted an area spanning 20-22 km but did not affect the Alaknanda downstream. A study published last month in the Journal of the Geological Society of India has confirmed a sharp rise in extreme rainfall and surface runoff events in Uttarakhand after 2010. The research, led by Professor Sundriyal, shows that while 1998-2009 saw warming and low rainfall, the trend reversed post-2010, with central and western Uttarakhand witnessing more extreme precipitation events. 'Data from 1970 to 2021 shows a clear increase in extreme rainfall events after 2010," Sundriyal told PTI. The state's geology compounds its risk. Steep slopes, young and fragile formations prone to erosion and tectonic faults such as the Main Central Thrust make the terrain unstable. The orographic effect of the Himalayas forces moist air upwards, leading to intense localised rainfall, while unstable slopes magnify the risk of landslides and flash floods. A November 2023 study published in the Natural Hazards journal, analysing disaster data between 2020 and 2023, recorded 183 incidents in Uttarakhand during the monsoon months alone. Landslides accounted for 34.4 per cent of these, flash floods 26.5 per cent and cloudbursts 14 per cent. The Centre for Science and Environment's Atlas on Weather Disasters shows that between January 2022 and March 2025, the 13 Himalayan states and Union territories reported extreme weather events on 822 days, claiming 2,863 lives. Experts say these natural factors are worsened by human activity. Unregulated road-building, deforestation and construction of tourism infrastructure and settlements on unstable slopes or riverbanks have increased disaster risk. Environment activist Anoop Nautiyal said repeated tragedies in Kedarnath, Chamoli, Joshimath, Sirobagad, Kwarab, and Yamunotri have not altered Uttarakhand's development trajectory. 'If anything, ecological degradation and haphazard development are accelerating due to flawed policies and projects," he claimed. Climate campaigner Harjeet Singh described the Uttarkashi tragedy as 'a deadly mix of global warming-fuelled monsoon extremes and unscientific, unsustainable construction in the name of development". The threats are not limited to extreme rainfall and landslides. Climate change is rapidly transforming the region's glaciers, creating new hazards in the form of swelling glacial lakes. Uttarakhand has more than 1,260 glacial lakes, with 13 identified by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) as high risk and five as extremely dangerous. These lakes pose major downstream threats, especially as warming accelerates glacial melt. The Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology has repeatedly warned about the dangers posed by hanging glaciers and glacial lakes. After the Chamoli disaster, its scientists flagged the role of freeze-thaw cycles in destabilising glaciers. NDMA's 2020 guidelines on Glacial Lake Outburst Floods called for mapping high-risk lakes, enforcing land-use restrictions and using remote monitoring to track potential breaches. Similarly, a 2013 review by the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People said unregulated hydropower projects and hill-cutting had amplified risks in the fragile terrain, but its recommendations were ignored. Despite multiple expert reports, policy and enforcement have failed to match the scale of the threat. As Uttarakhand reels from yet another disaster, the question remains whether the warnings from scientists will finally be heeded before another tragedy strikes. PTI GVS NSD NSD (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: August 06, 2025, 16:30 IST News agency-feeds From Kedarnath to Dharali: Uttarakhands unheeded warnings and rising disasters Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
New Indian Express
15-06-2025
- Science
- New Indian Express
An unwavering accord with the roots
Professor Nautiyal embodies a profound connection with his roots. His experiences during his formative years shaped his mission to empower the next generation. Professor Nautiyal embodies a profound connection with his roots. His experiences during his formative years shaped his mission to empower the next generation. Express UTTARAKHAND : Where successful individuals often distance themselves from their humble beginnings, Professor Bhagwati Prasad Nautiyal stands out as a remarkable exception. A faculty member at Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali Uttarakhand University of Horticulture & Forestry in Pauri district, and deeply devoted to his native soil, Professor Nautiyal not only vividly remembers his own arduous past but actively extends a helping hand to talented students navigating similar struggles. Professor Nautiyal embodies a profound connection with his roots. His experiences during his formative years shaped his mission to empower the next generation. 'I know what it's like to face obstacles in realising your aspirations, and it's a privilege to extend a hand to those who possess immense talent but lack the resources or guidance to truly shine,' the professor shares. Born in August 1970, in the small village of Kyeark in Chamoli district (now Rudraprayag), Nautiyal's early life was marked by hardship. His farmer father struggled to support the family. Thus, young Nautiyal completed primary and intermediate education, supported by his maternal uncle and cousin. His cousin brother arranged his accommodation and had to bear his university fee at HNB Garhwal University during his BSc degree. 'While continuing my studies, I started taking tuitions to pay my university education fees, accommodation, and other expenses,' he shares. His profound love for learning fueled his relentless drive to excel, leading him to earn his BSc (1990), BEd (1991), MSc (Botany, 1993), and PhD (Botany, 1997). A breakthrough arrived in 1998 in form of a Post-Doc Fellowship at Garhwal University's High Altitude Plant Physiology Research Centre, focusing on Medicinal & Aromatic Plants. He delved deep into medicinal plant research, exploring the Himalayas, and pioneered cultivation technology for two vital species: 'Kutki' and 'Archa'. He also established key UG and PG diploma courses, whose graduates now thrive in the pharmaceutical sector. During this period, the department tasked him with initiating commercial Kutki cultivation in Ghes Village, Chamoli. Demonstrating hands-on approach, he trekked 22 km, personally training villagers and distributing seedlings. Through his persistent efforts, Kutki sowing began in 2002, turning Ghes into a cultivation hub.
