Flash floods have devastated numerous residences and businesses in northern India, resulting in the deaths of at least four individuals and trapping many others under debris, officials disclosed on Tuesday. Videos broadcasted by local TV stations depicted floodwaters cascading down a mountain and colliding with Dharali, a village situated in the Himalayan region of the Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand state. The deluge inundated homes, washed away roads, and obliterated a local marketplace.
Prashant Arya, an administrative officer, stated, “Around twelve hotels were swept away, and multiple shops have collapsed.” He further mentioned that various rescue teams, including the Indian army and police, are conducting search operations for the missing individuals. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami emphasized that rescue efforts are being prioritized to save lives and provide relief.
The National Disaster Management Authority of India has requested three helicopters from the central government to aid in the rescue and relief endeavors due to the challenges of accessing the remote terrain. The exact number of individuals trapped or missing has not been disclosed by authorities.
The Indian meteorological department has predicted additional heavy rainfall in the region in the upcoming days, prompting authorities to instruct the closure of schools in multiple districts, including Dehradun and Haridwar cities. The occurrence of sudden, intense downpours, known as cloudbursts, is becoming more frequent in Uttarakhand, a region susceptible to flash floods and landslides during the monsoon season. Cloudbursts pose a significant threat by causing severe flooding and landslides, affecting numerous people residing in mountainous areas.
Experts attribute the rise in cloudburst incidents in recent years partly to climate change, with the impact exacerbated by unregulated development in mountainous regions. The flooding in northern India is the latest in a series of calamities to afflict the Himalayan mountains, spanning across five countries, in recent months. Additionally, the melting of glaciers due to high temperatures has resulted in flooding and landslides, claiming over 300 lives in Pakistan as reported by the country’s disaster agency.
Furthermore, a report by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development based in Nepal highlighted the unprecedented rates at which glaciers are melting across the Hindu Kush and Himalayan Mountain ranges. The study revealed that more than 200 out of the 2,000 glacial lakes in the region are at risk of overflowing, potentially causing catastrophic downstream damage.