“The news of heavy damage caused by a cloudburst in the Dharali (Uttarkashi) region is extremely sad and distressing,” Uttarakhand’s Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said in a post on X.
Cloudbursts – sudden intense downpours over a small area – are rare, but have become more frequent and intense in recent years, driven by climate change. The region’s steep terrain, unplanned construction and deforestation amplify the risks, often turning heavy rainfall into flash floods and landslides.
Floodwaters and mud surged down the mountain, crashing into the village, and sweeping away houses.Credit: AP
Several districts of Uttarakhand received “extremely heavy” rainfall in the 24-hour period through early Monday, the India Meteorological Department said in a bulletin. More precipitation and thunderstorms are forecast over the Western Himalayan region during the next seven days, it said.
At least 200 people were killed in 2021, when flash floods swept away two hydroelectric projects in the state.
There are about 10,000 glaciers in the Indian Himalayas, and many are receding due to the warming climate.
Last year, deadly floods triggered by unusually heavy monsoon rains in the southern Indian state of Kerala killed more than 150 people.
Experts blamed the scale of the disaster not only on the intensity of the rainfall but also on weak project planning, including unregulated real estate development and poor infrastructure. The incident exposed the risks of ignoring environmental safeguards in regions increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather.
Reuters, Bloomberg
- For more: Elrisala website and for social networking, you can follow us on Facebook
- Source of information and images “brisbanetimes”“
