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Months after disaster struck Uttarakhand, government has done little to improve people’s lives
Pradeep Singh Dami’s two-storied house in Tawaghat village in Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district fell like a pack of cards on June 17, when the raging Kaliganga river knocked off a chunk of the hill beneath his house. Dami had small savings so he rented a room in Dharchula town, about 20 km from Tawaghat. Once a shopowner, he is now a shop assistant and can barely feed his family of five.
Judges express concern over large number of power projects and dams on the Ganga and its tributaries without scientifically assessing their cumulative impact
The Supreme Court has ordered the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to appoint an expert committee to ascertain whether existing and under-construction hydropower plants and projects in Uttarakhand contributed to the flood disaster that hit the state in June.
National Institute of Disaster Management suggests guidelines and action plans for development activities after compilation of comprehensive data
The National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), in one of its first reports on the Uttarakhand floods, has blamed “climatic conditions combined with haphazard human intervention” in the hills for the disaster.
Residents say project managed by Jaiprakash Associates has increased flooding during monsoons
The 400 MW Vishnuprayag Hydroelectric Project across the Alaknanda river near Joshimath in Uttarakhand suffered extensive damage during the floods that hit the state recently.
Extreme rains followed by floods and landslides in Uttarakhand should act as a wake up call for planners and decision makers all over the country
Indian mythology is replete with instances of ‘akaash-vaani’ (heaven speak) to warn both kings gone astray and common people deviating from the path of ‘dharma’. The most famous of them is of course the ‘akaash-vaani’ predicting King Kansa’s death at Krishna’s hand. But ‘heaven speak’ does not just belong to the realm of mythology. What happened in Uttarakhand in June is proof enough.
973 first information reports for 3,078 missing persons lodged; government, telecom companies attempt to trace the missing
As Uttarakhand starts to pick up the pieces in the wake of the devastating floods of mid-June, the state government is preparing a list of missing persons who would be presumed dead if they do not return home or call their relatives by July 15. Under normal circumstances, people who have gone missing are declared dead only if they have not been heard of for 7 years.
Latest theory suggests combination of rain and landslides caused the disaster
The extreme rains of June 16 this year lead to a disaster of unprecedented proportions in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand. Many theories and explanations for the disaster have surfaced in the aftermath of the floods in the state. Now clearer satellite images of the upstream and downstream areas of the Kedar valley that have emerged are enabling a clearer understanding of the scientific and environmental reasons for the tragedy in the state.
Issues show-cause notice to state government, environment ministry; seeks details on development plans, environmental impact studies, preventive measures
In the wake of the disaster in Uttarakhand, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has questioned the manner in which indiscriminate developmental activities have been carried out in the ecologically fragile regions of the state. In a show-cause notice issued on July 2, the tribunal has asked the state government and the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to place on record the ‘basis on which massive construction has been raised on the hills.’
Construction to be 200 m from river; hoteliers welcome move, but demand compensation
Twenty days after floods in Uttarakhand caused massive destruction of property and loss of life, chief minister Vijay Bahuguna has called for a blanket ban on the construction of residential and commercial complexes on low-lying areas along rivers. Bahuguna announced the ban at a press conference in Dehradun on Monday.
Districts worst hit by the floods are also the ones with maximum hydropower projects in the pipeline
Intensive construction activity that has been going on in the Himalayas is one reason why floods in Uttarakhand turned so devastating. Indiscriminate construction of hydel projects is one such activity. While these projects are needed for development, building them causes a lot of damage.
We need to think about a pan-Himalayan development strategy which is based on the region's natural resources, culture and traditional knowledge
The recent events in Uttarakhand have shown, more than ever, that we need a development strategy for the Himalayas that takes into account the vulnerability of the region and the need for environment protection.
Projects under way do not take into account ecological impact on the Himalayas and the rivers
Poorly planned dams in Uttarakhand which were constructed without paying heed to their environmental impact is seen as one of the reasons why floods turned so devastating in the state this June. Experts say there is an urgency to reassess the need of hydropower in the state and make hydro energy sustainable.
Sluice gates were opened on June 22 following unprecedented water build up
Government officials claim that dams contained floods in many areas in Uttarkhand during the recent cloudburst and extreme rain events, and that the devastation would have been much more severe if it were not for these structures.
1.3 million pilgrims go for Char Dham Yatra in a month; no assessment of impact, carrying capacity
The Char Dham Yatra, a trail that leads to four holy shrines of Hindu pilgrimage in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, opened to pilgrims on May 13 this year. In a month, almost 1.3 million pilgrims completed the journey to the four shrines of Gangotri,
Praveen Bhargav is managing trustee of the conservation non-profit Wildlife First
I have been working on the issue of notification of Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) in the Western Ghats for some time now and thus aware of the sordid attempts to block this important protection measure. The devastating calamity in Uttarakhand has now brought the ESZ issue into sharp focus and triggered extensive debates.
Government agencies merely shift blame but take no action to plan and prepare ahead
Natural disasters strike without notice. With changing climate, fear of extreme rain, tropical cyclones and variable weather events will now intensify–all these will make our world even more vulnerable and more hazardous. The question is why civilian India remains so unprepared to deal with disasters–to forewarn people; to handle the crisis and to rehabilitate the affected.
Uttarakhand government took no step to address shortcomings in three years
There is a link between the disaster and the manner in which development has been carried out in this ecologically fragile region
Soon to be finalized state action plan on climate change full of extreme events warnings
The cloudburst–induced flood in Uttarakhand was a disaster waiting to happen. The state’s draft action plan on climate change is full of such warnings. A prudent document, it captures vulnerability assessments on Uttarakhand, people’s perceptions of climate change and how they are getting affected by the change. The document is also a comment on the development model in the state and raises several points about how development should not be done in an ecologically fragile region.
Experts say deforestation aggravated floods in Uttarakhand; only 12 per cent compensatory afforestation achieved
While extreme weather and unregulated planning are being blamed for the devastation caused by the Uttarakhand floods, deforestation is regarded as another factor. This aspect of the Uttarakhand disaster, however, is more complex than it appears. The worst affected districts of Chamoli, Pithoragarh, Rudraprayag and Uttarkashi are the areas where maximum forestland has been diverted for development activities.
Uttarakhand receives more rainfall in June than before
Weather prediction and disaster response have become issues fuelling the blame game between state officials in Uttarakhand. An analysis of rainfall data for the past five years, available on the website of the India Meteorological Department, points to changes in rainfall trends in India, with a greater number of incidents of excess rain in Uttarakhand in June.
Lichen studies show Chorabari glacier submerged temple, then retreated
The Kedarnath temple is one of the few structures in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand to have escaped relatively unscathed in the recent floods. The temple is located in the Kedar valley below the Chorabari glacier, which is the source of the river Mandakini. While little is known about the glacier’s history, a study of lichens has revealed clues to the glacier’s past and the temple’s present.
Over 1,000 people stranded in villages but relief and rescue operations focus only on pilgrim centres
While most of the relief and rescue operations in flood-ravaged Uttarakhand is concentrated around Kedarnath, little attention has been paid to Pithoragarh district, which was hit by floods twice in recent days. An estimated 1,000 people are stranded in the area as roads connecting to different areas have collapsed during floods and landslides. Some of the roads were well-maintained and in good shape as they fall on the way to Kailash Mansarovar.
They have lost homes, belongings; claim no government aid available as yet
More than 20 tents are spread across the sprawling grounds of Bikash Bhavan at Ladri Joshala of Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand. Ramesh Singh Rana, 38, and his 12 family members from flood-ravaged Dhanpur village have been living here since June 16 along with 30 other families.
The Valley of Flowers in Uttarakhand, a World Heritage Site, may have been damaged in the recent floods in the state. A look at what makes this biodiversity-rich region susceptible to disturbance
The Valley of Flowers (VOF) National Park in Uttarakhand runs in an east-west direction along the banks of the river Pushpawati. Its rich biodiversity and outstanding natural beauty have earned it the status of a World Heritage Site from UNESCO. However, this region, with its picturesque and species-rich alpine meadows, is under threat.
The Himalaya has one of the most fragile topographies among mountain ranges of the world on account of being the youngest. Even though its phase of major upheavals has ended, the Himalayan mountains are still rising. The Indian plate is continuously pushing north about 2 cm every year, and so the Himalaya is rising about 5 mm a year. This means the Himalaya is still geologically active and structurally unstable. What does this mean in terms of predicting disasters in the area? In this series of interviews, Jyotsna Singh talks to experts on the way forward
Environment ministry dithers on notification seeking to regulate construction activities in flood plains
The massive loss of lives, property and infrastructure due to landslides and floods in Uttarakhand has once again raised concerns on the unabashed and unplanned construction near riverbanks.
Dhari Devi’s idol, which had gone missing on June 17, has been brought back and placed in the new temple above the original site
The National Remote Sensing Centre under ISRO has released some interesting satellite images that could possibly explain the devastation in Uttarakhand
The before and after pictures below are self-explanatory. The post-flood image on Bhuvan (ISRO'a geoportal) was acquired on 21 June, 2013. Zooming into the Kedar valley area highlights the disturbances and flooding that have occurred north of the region, including the emergence of a new stream (number 3 in the image) which has cut across a green patch. The water brought down a lot of debris towards Kedarnath and further down into the Mandakini river, causing the major disaster. This is an initial assessment; other parameters such as rainfall data and terrain will need to be examined for further analysis.
Uttarakhand government has made no attempt to enforce mining and building regulations in the state, which exacerbated flood's impacts
In the decade that followed grant of statehood to Uttarakhand in 2000, the state's development priorities changed. Infrastructure and real estate development, triggered by the cash flow from tourism, have led to indiscriminate mining of river beds for construction material, altering the fragile Himalayan environment. This human activity has exacerbated the effects of the flash floods that have badly affected the state.
Floods have washed away the village that cared for the upkeep of the precincts around the World Heritage Site. Will its residents get a chance to rebuild their lives?
News about the floods in Uttarakhand revive memories of my trip to the Valley of flowers last year. I am glad I could make it then, for this year this picturesque place in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand has been ruined by the extreme rains. Sanjay Rawat, sarpanch of the van panchyat (village forest council) who had guided me around the World Heritage Site last year, called to tell me about the devastation in the area. He said the river that passes through the heritage site had washed away the beautiful meadows. The flowers, too, have been wiped out. His information was hearsay as nobody can go near the area. Rawat and other people stranded in the valley were airlifted to safety recently.
19 projects in Uttarakhand washed away; state hydel power corporation loses Rs 77 crore
In the aftermath of the Uttarakhand floods, a number of hydroelectric projects that had been constructed on the Ganga have suffered serious damage. The state hydel power development corporation, Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (UJVNL), suffered a loss of total Rs 77 crore. It also suffered an additional Rs 50 crore loss in power generation.
Chief minister seeks permission for mass funeral; doctors fear break out of epidemic
The Uttarakhand disaster has left gruesome scenes of death and devastation in its wake. The state government claims that 557 people have died so far, but the estimated death toll could be as high as 15,000. Now rumours are doing the rounds in the corridors of power that the state chief minister Vijay Bahuguna is seeking a religious leader’s sanction to organise a mass funeral for the deceased.
Hospitals have not got green signal for deploying teams; state government unclear of medical help actually needed
While the Uttarakhand government claims that 150 doctors from Sir Ganga Ram hospital and Fortis hospital in New Delhi have been deployed to affected areas, the hospital authorities claim ignorance. The chief minister of the state, Vijay Bahuguna, had said that he had put together a group of 150 doctors and 17 teams from Ganga Ram hospital and Fortis hospital in New Delhi, and that these teams are already providing medical assistance to the rescued at various camps in Joshimath, Gauchar, Rudraprayag, Uttarkashi and Guptkashi in Uttarakhand.
Uttarakhand government took no step to address shortcomings in three years
Uttarakhand has not even compiled baseline data of frequency and intensity of natural disasters in the past
Uttarakhand government took no step to address shortcomings in three years
A mock drill organised by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in May-June 2011 in three districts of Uttarakhand had raised many crucial questions. After the drill, that was conducted in Dehradun on May 27, Haridwar on May 30 and Tehri-Garhwal on June 1, many solutions were offered to reduce damage in the state in the event of a disaster. None were implemented. The report of this drill is not public yet.
Light to moderate rain forecast from June 24; will impede ongoing rescue operations
Uttarakhand has barely had any time to recover from the three days of extreme rains and accompanying floods and landslides that have demolished buildings, bridge and roads, leaving scores dead and more unaccounted for. Just 12 hours after the rain in the region ceased and rescue operations were pushed into top gear, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicts rain after another two days.
5,000-7,000 elderly and disabled still stranded in Pandukeshwar near Badrinath, reports Soma Basu from Rudraprayag
Tourists and pilgrims stranded on route of various pilgrim centres like Gaurikund, Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib turned up in Rudraprayag on Thursday by buses, jeeps and on foot after the route from Haridwar to Rudraprayag was reopened. Local residents whose homes had been washed away also streamed into Rudraprayag.
Expansion of hydel projects, roads and tourism is making the Himalaya in Uttarakhand crumble
Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, two hill states in the Himalayan range, are so far the worst hit by the extreme rains that struck northern India in the wake of monsoons that set in early this year. Media reports say nearly 60 persons have died in Uttarakhand, and an estimated 60,000 pilgrims are stranded. Heavy rainfall has wreaked havoc on the region because of the fragile nature of the Himalayan range and poor soil stability in its steep slopes.
State does not have automatic weather stations on pilgrimage routes or nowcasting system despite its vulnerability to rains and flash floods
It will be hard for people living in Uttarakhand, especially Uttarkashi, to forget the three days starting June 15, 2013. Incessant heavy rains during these days pretty much brought the mountains down. There are no confirmed figures of casualty or the number of people stranded, but estimates put the number of dead at 130; around 75,000 are estimated to be stranded; and 7,000 missing.
Report warns of substantially reduced flow in Indian rivers in lean season and acute food scarcity if heat is not turned down
The unpredictability of Indian monsoons will increase further if the global rise in temperature is not controlled immediately. The frequency of extreme wet monsoon, currently witnessed in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, will also increase substantially. The water situation in river basins, especially that of the Ganga, will become erratic – there will be more runoff, that is more water flowing in the river, but wet seasons will become wetter and dry seasons drier.
Uttarakhand is all too familiar with disasters. A look at the man-made factors that have aggravated disasters in the past, and have yet continued unchecked
