Devastation in Dharali: Experts Warn Man-Made Disaster as Ice Rock Avalanche Triggers Himalayan Tragedy

Dharali is reeling from a disaster of monumental proportions after a sudden ice-rock avalanche struck, sweeping away entire villages, trapping people in debris, and once again raising uncomfortable questions about unchecked development and environmental neglect in the fragile Himalayas. Rescue operations are now underway at a war-footing, with the top priority being the lives of those still stuck in the mud and rubble that came with the disaster.

What Happened in Dharali?

Yesterday, what first seemed to be a typical “cloudburst”—a familiar but deadly event in mountain regions—was revealed to be something different. The Indian Meteorological Department did not record a cloudburst in the area. Instead, experts say it was an ice-rock avalanche—a disaster many geologists, like Dr. Naveen Jiya, had warned about as early as 2023, especially for the Dharali region known for its hanging glaciers. These glaciers and their tributaries are prone to sudden, massive slides of icy debris and rock, especially as climate change speeds up the melting process and destabilizes the mountains.

Human Intervention Turns Event into Disaster

While natural events like ice-rock avalanches are part of mountain ecology, things turned disastrous because of unregulated human intervention. Over the years, construction along riverbanks has exploded—sometimes with three-storey hotels and illegal structures rising right in the river’s natural path. When the river reclaimed its space, the poorly-located buildings were swept away, leading to significant loss of life and property. According to expert activist Mallika Bhano, it wasn’t just nature’s fury but our own mistakes—building on floodplains, creating obstacles in the river’s flow, and ignoring legal and safety norms—that made this a human-induced tragedy.

“We have made this event a disaster by our actions. The lands where people built homes should have never been touched. If construction had been regulated and an early warning system was in place, many lives could have been saved,” Mallika stated. She emphasized the urgent need for early warning systems in the Himalayas as climate change accelerates the frequency and intensity of natural hazards.

Lessons We Keep Ignoring

History has tragically repeated itself in Dharali. Records show warnings from as early as 1835, and major disasters in 2013 and 2014 should have prompted stricter regulations in vulnerable zones. Experts and scientists have repeatedly cautioned authorities about the dangers of unchecked construction in sensitive river corridors. Yet, meaningful policy changes and enforcement remain lacking.

The Bhagirathi basin in which Dharali lies is part of the Ganga’s last remaining segment to flow in its most natural form. But even here, construction and “development” projects—like the Char Dham road widening, which threatens to cut down 6,000 deodar trees that stabilize entire mountainsides—are putting the ecosystem and people at grave and unnecessary risk.

Can These Disasters Be Prevented?

Mallika Bhano was unambiguous: “If we don’t build in risky places and install early warning systems, we can save lives and property.” The recent disaster, she warned, should serve as a wakeup call for both policy and public behavior. It’s not just a question of rebuilding after tragedy, but of fundamentally rethinking what sustainable, safe development means in the Himalayas.

She urged that areas like Dharali, built atop unstable glacial debris, should not be reclaimed or rebuilt at all, to avoid literally repeating past mistakes—otherwise, we’re just setting up for more catastrophic loss in the future.

The Way Forward

As bulldozers move in to clear debris and as villagers mourn their homes and loved ones, experts call on authorities to review ongoing projects like the Char Dham highway, monitor all construction in flood-prone zones, and value the ecosystem services of the Himalayas over short-term tourism gains. Proactive steps can help balance development and conservation, ensuring that growth doesn’t come at the cost of human lives and our environment.

The Himalayan region is a lifeline to North India, especially through the Ganga basin. Unless governments act on expert recommendations and enforce environmental protections, such tragedies will unfortunately continue.

Conclusion:

Dharali is a painful reminder—development without ecological wisdom can turn a natural event into a human disaster. The hope is that this time, warnings and lessons will not go unheard, and that sustainable development will guide the future of our mountains.