Uttarkashi Cloudburst: At least four people were killed and tens were afraid that on Tuesday, August, the alleged lightning floods launched in the Uttarkashi district in Uttarakhand, after the alleged lightning floods caused torrential rains.
Videos, which became a viral on social media, showed the area of giant waves of water and swallowed everything in the way, including hotels and residential buildings in Dharali, 8,600 feet above sea level.
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The heavy rain continued to pound Uttarkashi as rescuers continued their operations in Dharali Wednesday Wednesday looking for victims in the middle of the debris.
Himalayan states carry the onslaught
Scientists argue that the Indian Himalayan states carry the onslaught of growing extreme weather events from the beginning of the southwest monsoon 2025, the last is the suspect cloudburst in Uttarakhand.
On the afternoon of 5th August, a huge stream of water came down, which rushed through the streets of the village of Dharali. While the early visual elements of the incident indicated the possible cloudburst, which triggered lightning floods, there is an investigation to find out the exact reason for a catastrophic event.
Experts said that changing formulas of snowfall and precipitation, as a result of climate change, made the Himalaya vulnerable. Glacier Retreat and Permafrost Thaw reduced the stability of mountain slopes and integrity of infrastructure, said and quoted a special report on the cryosphere Intergovernmental panel for climate change (IPCC).
Climate science and the role of climate change
There is no doubt that it blames the rise in temperature and humidity in the area of starting extreme weather events back. “With the axis of the monsoon trough passing the foot of the Himalayas, we have already predicted a red warning of Uttarakhand. While the affected region is susceptible to cloudtstes, such an event is due to the increase in climate change,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice president, meteorology and choket.
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Early warning predicted intensive precipitation, which brought a greater risk of landslides at high exclusive areas and required the development of specific plans to alleviate and adapt at a faster pace. As a result of climate change, there are often risks in regions with high altitude, such as glaciers’ retreat, degradation of permafrost, and lake shrinkage, which often leads to the instability of the slope and increasing the occurrence of deep landslides, the scientists said.
According to a Research study“Increasing the occurrence of large glaciers related to landslides in the high mountains in Asia”, up to 127 landslides were detected in the Landat paintings in the study area, covering the period from 1999 to 2018.
Rampant development of infrared
The uncontrollable development of infrastructure, such as hotels, tunnels, roads and hydropower projects, has deteriorated the situation and economic losses in an environmentally sensitive region, scientists said.
“The role of global warming is already determined in the rise of extreme weather events. In 2013, we did not learn anything from previous disasters (Kedarnath) and 2021 (Rishiganga). Why was there no planned construction?” said Dr. YP Sundriyal, professor of geology at HNB Garhwal University.
Dr. Sundriyal said that the Himalayas, the youngest mountains in the world, are very fragile ecologically.
“This is a very sensitive region. Authorities and local authorities should include scientists in the implementation of any construction in the region because they are well familiar in geology. When such torrent collisions occur on the slopes of hills, it becomes more dangerous because the debris leads to erosion due to landslides.
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According to experts, it is necessary to acknowledge the lesson that the increase in such events in Uttarakhand is not exclusively due to the climate crisis.
“Increased development activity in vulnerable regions creates new risks for the mountain community,” said Anil Kulkarni, distinguishing a guest scientist, wondering Center for Climate Change, Indian Institute of Science, Hindustan Times.
Highway project
Mallika Bhanot, an environmentalist and a member of the gang Ahvaan, a team of civil society, says the river will set out on a road that can come what it can. “It is only natural to expect it to flow freely. Any obstacles to its flow will obviously cause disaster. The massive increase in the number of landslides is again completely associated with the construction of the Char Dham road,” said Bhanot Hindustan Times.
The role of global warming is already determined in the rise of extreme weather events.
The Char Dham Highway project in Uttarakhand is an ongoing initiative to improve the connection of roads to four sacred Hindu pilgrimage points: Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. While the project is approaching completion with more than 70% of works, some sections are still under construction. The aim of the project is to provide access to these holy weather and increase the safety and comfort of travel for pilgrims.
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