Uttarkashi Tragedy: A Warning for Himalayan Ecosystem

• Over 50 people are reported missing in Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand, following flash floods.

• At least four people have died due to collapsed mountainsides and floodwater inundation.

• The disaster’s scale is expected to be gauged within a week.

• The Central Water Commission initially linked the flash floods to a cloudburst, but India Meteorological Department officials have contradicted this.

• Uttarkashi’s topography and continuous rainfall make it vulnerable to mudslides and flash floods.

• The region is part of the Bhagirathi Ecosensitive Zone (ESZ), which was notified in 2012 to protect against unregulated development.

• The Centre and Uttarakhand government have shown insufficient sensitivity to the region’s vulnerabilities and ignored red flags raised by the committee monitoring ESZ norms.

• Experts suggest that the chipping away of rocks to widen roads and constructions on floodplains could have made the disaster more severe.

• Bolstering climate resilience requires swifter responses, automatic weather stations, and early warning mechanisms.

• The tragedy serves as a warning that policymakers need to link climate change, risks, early warning and disaster management systems, and developmental initiatives.