Monsoon 2025 has seen the Himalayas, especially the western part of the mountain range, battered by flashfloods and landslides.
Lives have been lost due to such incidents in Uttarakhand’s Dharali, Himachal’s Seraj Valley and Jammu and Kashmir’s Chashoti. As the monsoon winds down, the destruction is becoming more severe.
Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh are currently witnessing severe flooding, with all the local rivers including Tawi, Chenab, Beas and Sutlej in spate.
Down To Earth spoke to veteran meteorologist, Sonam Lotus, about the happenings in the Western Himalayas and what lies ahead for the region.
Rajat Ghai (RG): Like Himachal, Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh also lies in the Western Himalayas. Is it also particularly sensitive to extreme weather?
Sonam Lotus (SL): Yes, the entire Western Himalayas—Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand—are very susceptible to flash floods, mud slides and landslides triggered by intense hazards. And it especially happens during the southwest monsoon, between mid-June and mid-September.
While the importance of early warning and forecasting cannot be downplayed, still these cannot provide foolproof protection from the actual hazardous event. We need to sensitise people and reach out to them.
RG: Is Ladakh seeing an increasing trend of extreme weather events in the last few years?
SL: It is very difficult to say whether there is indeed a trend or pattern. What is happening though is that we are getting information at a very fast rate, which was not the case earlier. There was also not much construction in these areas earlier. Construction in the hills needs proper planning and structural engineering. And of course, we need to sensitise people that such incidents are going to recur. If they have occurred this year, it does not mean they won’t happen next year. Maybe they will take place with double the ferocity.
RG: Ladakh is a cold desert unlike most of Himachal, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir. Should Ladakhis prepare for such events in a different manner?
SL: Of course, Ladakh has a unique climate and topography. But we already have installed instruments like the Doppler radar in Leh and more will be installed in Kargil, Drass and Zanskar.
But there is no end to preparation. Nobody could have imagined the incident in Dharali. But it has taken place. It may take place next in a place where nobody is expecting it.
You can give n number of names and terminologies to such events. But the fact is that they will occur and will cause destruction of life and property. So, we always have to be prepared.