New Delhi: The intensifying frequency of cloudbursts and flash floods in the Himalayas has raised urgent concerns about unplanned and unscientific development in the region. Experts warn that fragmented planning, driven by political pressures and bureaucratic decisions rather than science, is putting both lives and fragile ecosystems at risk.
In recent decades, the northwestern Himalayas have witnessed an increase in cloudburst intensity, leading to large-scale destruction of infrastructure, loss of life, and displacement of communities. Despite the vulnerability of the region, a holistic developmental framework is lacking.
Flaws in Development Practices
Environmental and geological studies are often bypassed in major projects. For instance, the Char Dham road project was divided into smaller components by the Central government to avoid mandatory environmental impact assessments. The consequences have been visible in the form of repeated landslides, flash floods, and large-scale deforestation along the expanded highway.
The recent glacial lake burst in Dharali (Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand) that triggered a flash flood also occurred along the Char Dham highway route, underscoring the risks of poorly regulated construction.
Rising Tourism and Unregulated Construction
Rapid expansion of hotels, resorts, and homestays across the Himalayan belt to accommodate the surging tourist inflow has further stressed the ecosystem. Outside municipal limits, there are no norms governing construction in ecologically sensitive zones. The use of heavy earth-moving machinery for road widening and building construction has only worsened the environmental degradation.
Floodplain management remains almost absent. In both Dharali (Uttarakhand) and Chisoti (Jammu and Kashmir), where devastating cloudbursts struck recently, unregulated construction had taken place directly on floodplains. Swollen rivers, intensified by heavy rainfall, inundated these vulnerable areas.
Repeated Warnings Ignored
The 2022 Amarnath Yatra tragedy, where a cloudburst devastated a pilgrim camp built on a dried riverbed, was a stark warning. Yet similar mistakes continue. In Chisoti this year, a pilgrim camp was constructed after flattening a floodplain, which later suffered severe flooding.
Experts emphasise that without uniform, science-based developmental norms, the Himalayan states will remain vulnerable to repeated natural disasters. Integrating scientific assessments, stricter floodplain regulations, and sustainable tourism practices into policy frameworks is seen as the only way to balance development with ecological security in the region.