By Sushant Agarwal
Published on | Aug 07, 2025
The flash floods in Dharali revived haunting memories of the 2013 Kedarnath disaster. The tragedy is part of a grim, recurring pattern in Uttarakhand.
Triggered by 300 mm rain in 24 hours, the Kedarnath disaster killed 5,700 people. It exposed the deadly impact of extreme weather and fragile terrain.
Since 2013, Uttarakhand has seen repeated disasters—Arakot (2019), Chamoli (2021), Maldevta (2022)—driven by floods, landslides, and cloudbursts.
Experts say Dharali’s disaster resembles Chamoli’s glacier-linked flood. Ground data & satellite monitoring are needed to understand the full impact.
A new study shows extreme rainfall and surface runoff events have surged in Uttarakhand since 2010, reversing earlier warming-and-dryness trends.
Steep slopes, unstable geology, and the Himalayas' orographic effect make Uttarakhand highly prone to landslides and flash floods.
Unchecked road-building, hill-cutting, deforestation, and construction on fragile slopes have worsened disaster risks in the name of development.
Melting glaciers have formed over 1,260 lakes in Uttarakhand. 13 are high-risk, and 5 are extremely dangerous, posing huge flood threats downstream.
Despite NDMA guidelines & repeated studies post-Kedarnath and Chamoli, critical safety actions like mapping, monitoring & regulation remain missing.
Experts warn flawed policies and haphazard construction are speeding ecological collapse. Will action come before another disaster hits?