The Art Of Planning Himalayan Disasters

TL;DR The Indian Himalayan region has been hit hard by monsoon floods and landslides, revealing the consequences of unchecked exploitation. Rapid construction, hydropower projects, and tourism have led to environmental degradation. Despite warnings, the region’s fragile ecosystem has been weakened systematically. Examples from Uttarakhand illustrate the problem: large-scale construction in seismic zones, hydropower projects in risky areas, and unsustainable tourism. Indigenous ingenuity and local prosperity are ignored. Deforestation has left the mountains vulnerable to landslides. The misalignment between GDP-driven development and the Himalayan context is evident, urging the need for balanced and responsible approaches to protect the region’s harmony.

In the past few days, the Indian Himalayan region - twelve districts in Himachal Pradesh and seven districts in Uttarakhand, have been ravaged by monsoon floods and landslides. Hundreds have been killed, and countless families have been displaced. Not to mention the loss of ecosystems and biodiversity. It is worth noting that a large portion of this area has elevations that begin at 1500m or 5000ft above sea level.

Every year during monsoon season, the consequences of rampant exploitation in this region come to light. It may make headlines at times but usually the dust settles and business resumes as usual. Construction of multi-story buildings, "all-weather" highways, hydropower projects, tree felling, hollowing of mountains, and tourism continues. It's as though we all embrace the spirit of John Muir, proclaiming, "The mountains are calling, and I must go." However, the true question remains—do we heed the mountains' call for responsible stewardship and lasting change?

For the rest of the year, the crumble and groan of the mountains are ignored. And the cycle of indifference and exploitation continues.

The Himalayas are living ecosystems with intricate relationships between human societies and nature. The pursuit of GDP-driven development has cast a shadow over the entire region, leading to irreversible environmental degradation and social upheaval. The situation in the two emblematic Indian Himalayan states - Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand is glaring in our faces. What is happening today is a planned disaster. And, no #climatechange cannot be used as a scapegoat. In this blog, I share examples from my mother-land Uttarakhand, and describe what goes into planning a disaster of this scale.

Vulnerability vs. systemic weakening of the Himalayas

Ten years back, in June 2013, a midday cloudburst in the upper reaches of the Himalayas in Uttarakhand led to flash floods that claimed over 6,000 lives (conservative estimate) and swept away several settlements, described as the worst 'natural' disaster the nation had ever witnessed.

Very conveniently labeled a 'natural disaster', the Uttarakhand tragedy 2013 resulted from years of systemic weakening of this fragile ecosystem!

Climate change adds to the spice mix of unplanned construction of roads, large-scale hydropower projects, over-reliance on tourism, and haphazard construction to accommodate the tourist load. Despite several warnings from environmentalists and geologists, the administration has conveniently overlooked geological features and drainage patterns. Resulting in the collapse of a majestic ecosystem.

You might wonder, ten years on, what did we learn? Below I would like to explain how this systemic collapse is planned.

Step 1 - Approve large-scale heavy-duty construction in a highly sensitive seismic zone

In 2021, a 28-highway project worth Rs 1,210.17 crore (≈ 151.27 million USD) in Uttarakhand. A 900-kilometer 'all weather' highway project has been approved, connecting the four pilgrimage sites of Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath.

In late 2022, Joshimath, a township located at a height of 1,875 m (6,150 feet), a gateway to several Himalayan mountain climbing expeditions and pilgrim centres, was hit by a geological phenomenon known as land subsidence. Gradual settling, or sinking of the surface due to the removal of water, oil, natural gas, or mineral resources from the ground. Joshimath has always been vulnerable to earthquakes as the region falls in seismic zone V, it sits atop glacial debris, the town has no solid foundation. Now, the fact that extreme rainfall/coudburst events in the Ganga headwaters have more than doubled is not new. The seepage of water to the ground adds to the instability. We have peer-reviewed evidence and personal accounts of people substantiating this claim.

But ignoring all the evidence, a highway is being constructed in this region!?

Step No 2 - Build more hydro-power projects in the name of "sustainable energy"

Uttarakhand, home to 1439 glaciers which give birth to 16 rivers that sustain a population of 1400 million people; also has immense potential for harnessing hydropower energy. But given the sensitive geological conditions in Uttarakhand, hydropower is a risky matter.

Since 2013, the Jal Shakti Ministry (Water Ministry) and the Uttarakhand Government continue to work on seven hydropower projects that lie in seismic zones IV and V – i.e. ‘severe’ and ‘very severe’ intensity zones.

1. Tehri II (1,000 MW) - 1700 m or 5500 ft
2. Tapovan Vishnugad (520 MW) - 1787 m or 5800 ft
3. Vishnugad Pipalkoti (444 MW) - 1259 m or 4130 ft
4. Singoli Bhatwari (99 MW) - 1000 m or 3300 ft
5. Phata Byung (76 MW) - 1300 m or 4000 ft
6. Madmaheshwar (15 MW), and -  3497 m or 11,473.1 ft
7. Kaliganga II (4.5 MW) - 1300 m or 4000 ft

In Feb 2021, two events led to loss of 200 lives. Heavy snowfall was followed by clearing of skies and bright sunshine - solar insolation. The snow and ice slush moved down the steep slope of Trishul nala, gathering all sediments, rocks, debris, boulders lying in the valley. This avalanche reached the bottom of the slope into the Rishiganga river resulted in a flood. This is a normal natural event characteristic of the Himalayan region.

Now, this avalanche of humongous quantity of water moving downstream with full force, is capable of destroying anything that stands in it way. And it did, it blew a bridge apart, the barrage of a hydropower, and moved further down into the valley entered the Dhauliganga valley through the Dhauliganga river. The next obstruction the barrage of 520 MW Tapovan Vishnugad project was demolished in a matter of seconds. The water flooded the intake tunnels, the boulders and rocks blocked entrances trapping people inside. The flood, albeit, weakened continued to flow downstream and entered the Alaknanda valley, where it destroyed a bridge and mellowed its impact.

This is only one such example. Incidents where lives are impacted due to connectivity are not even publicized in the mainstream news. Such as this glacier sliding and covering 800 ft stretch of the road in March 2022.

The potential for natural disasters such as avalanches, cloud-bursts, heavy snowfall in this region is well-known. The fact that glaciers are melting rapidly is also well-established.

To contain the damage the administration is allowing for heady-duty construction and hollowing of mountains through dynamite?!

Aggressive #greenwashing of the dams and use of police force to silence the protesters are common.The lives lost end up becoming another statistic in the 'natural disaster' registry and hashtags like #prayforuttarakhand #prayforhimachal trend on social media for two days, and the exploitation continues.

Step No 3 - Embrace progress, neglect indigenous ingenuity and local prosperity for a tourist-fueled utopia

In a bid to boost GDP, Uttarakhand has welcomed an influx of tourists, leading to the mushrooming of hotels, resorts, and infrastructure. This increased tourism while contributing to economic growth has come at a steep ecological and also economical cost for the locals. The construction of hotels and roads has led to deforestation, soil erosion, and habitat loss. The rampant increase in tourist footfall has strained local resources, resulting in water scarcity and waste management challenges. The pursuit of GDP growth through tourism has not only degraded the environment but has also left local communities grappling with the adverse impacts of over-reliance on a single industry.

A National Disaster Management Authority report from 2020, acknowledged that urban centres, towns and certain villages in the mountain areas "are burdened beyond their capacity by tourism and rural-to-urban migration."

But in 2022, 100 million tourists, majority pilgrims, visited Uttarakhand!? And, there are plans to expand this foot-fall!?

In the era of #atmanirbharbharat (self-reliance) it is perplexing to witness the overshadowing of ingenious avenues.

Gharat (indigenous technology converting kinetic energy of flowing water into mechanical energy and is used for grinding flour, maize, spices and producing electricity locally), the farming and processing of high-value products such as horticultural wonders, tea, herbs, fruits, and the sweet labor of apiculture, remain tragically overlooked and unexplored.

Step No 4 - Deforestation

Ironically, the very state that birthed the iconic Chipko movement - a grassroots environmental initiative, symbolizing the power of local communities in safeguarding forests and inspiring global environmental awareness; finds itself grappling with a staggering loss of 21,207 hectares of precious forest land (as of 2020) over the past two decades. The poignant irony!

A single activity has deep reverberating impact on the mountain ecosystem and the economy. The collective impact of construction of roads, dams, townships has wrecked absolute chaos.

The intricate mountain ecosystem relies on its forests as a lifeline, nurturing streams, shielding slopes with their embrace, steadfastly anchoring boulders and rocks; however, their absence leaves the mountains vulnerable, dissolving into mud with every monsoon, resulting in devastating landslides. Which sadly do not even make the headlines unless it is the 'tourist season', while the invaluable loss of biodiversity remains unaccounted for. The haunting tales of Palayan or mass migration and ghost villages in Uttarakhand stand as a testament to the profound upheaval caused by an unsustainable pursuit of growth.

#Devbhoomi (The Land of Gods) is more than just a backdrop for 'development'; It is a living ecosystems with intricate relationships between human societies and nature. The misalignment between GDP-driven development and the unique Himalayan context is glaring. The way forward is clear: we desperately need to change the course, we need a balanced approach that respects the mountains' harmony.

Today it might appear to be a regional problem but as pointed by David Molden, director general of ICIMOD

“What happens in the Hindu Kush Himalayas effects a fourth of the world’s population and the whole world by extension. It is extremely important for the member countries to sit together and ensure that there is cooperation at all levels.”

Acknowledgement and resources:

My go-to sources of information in the Indian Himalayan region are Kavita Upadhyay, ICIMOD, and Anoop Nautiyal, Nimesh Dhungana

More on Joshimath -

As always, thoughts, comments, reflections, input is welcome. I'd love to connect!

Until next time!