The intensity and frequency of monsoon rainfall have marginally increased (Photo: Sarika Singh/Twitter)
As the Monsoon commences its withdrawal from the country, it is leaving behind an unprecedented trail of destruction across large parts of northern India, and notably in the Himalayas, where flash floods and landslides occurred frequently, throughout the season.
The Himalayan region has witnessed a dramatic rise in these extreme events, leading to unprecedented loss of lives and property. In July, a cluster of nine cloudbursts across a 25-km stretch in Himachal Pradesh destroyed villages and critical infrastructure, killing over 280 people and causing widespread damage. Similar incidents occurred with alarming frequency in other Himalayan states as well, notably Uttarakhand, parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
While climate change and erratic monsoon patterns are often blamed, experts emphasise that the primary factor aggravating these tragedies is human-engineered infrastructure development: reckless road widening, poorly-designed tunnelling, indiscriminate blasting and rampant deforestation.
In the last decade, states like Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir have reported repeated tragedies, leaving highways washed away, entire villages buried under landslides, bridges collapsing into rivers, and families trapped in flash floods.
Though the intensity and frequency of monsoon rainfall have only marginally increased, the scale of devastation has multiplied, pointing to human meddling with fragile slopes as the biggest culprit.
“Faulty infrastructure development, like road widening, tunnelling, and blasting, is a major driver of landslides and flash floods in the Himalayas, contributing roughly 80 pc to the problem,” Verhaen Khanna, President, New Delhi Nature Society, an an environmental organisation based in New Delhi, tells Media India Group.
“These activities destabilise slopes and remove natural barriers like trees and soil, amplifying the impact of rainfall. While climate change brings heavier, erratic rains, the absence of vegetation and cemented landscapes worsen flooding and landslides. Nature’s balance, once preserved, could mitigate much of this destruction,” Khanna adds.
According to Khanna, authorities have aggressively pursued mega-projects under the banner of “modern connectivity”, highways for tourism, runways for military preparedness and tunnels for faster transport. But in doing so, mountains have been indiscriminately blasted, their slopes cut at steep, unsafe angles and natural drainage pathways blocked. Unscientific slope-cuttings leave loose debris, which becomes deadly projectiles during intense rains.
“Every election, leaders promise development. What we see instead is bulldozers cutting away our mountains. When floods strike, it is we who lose homes, shops, and roads. The contractors and officials walk away with money; we are left with ruins,” Harshit Rikhari, a student preparing for a competitive exam, based in Manali, Himachal Pradesh, tells Media India Group.
Across the Himalayas, tree cover, a natural stabiliser of the unstable Himalayan terrain, has shrunk drastically due to logging. Roots bind soil and reduce water runoff pressure, protecting against slope failure. With large-scale deforestation, soil now easily gets eroded and hillsides collapse under even moderate rainfall.
“Large-scale logging and deforestation are primary culprits behind the increased vulnerability of Himalayan slopes. Tree roots stabilise soil, acting as natural shields against cloudbursts. Their removal, often driven by corrupt builder-politician nexuses, leaves mountains prone to landslides and floods. This loss of natural vegetation significantly escalates disaster risks, proving that disrupting nature for profit invites devastating consequences,” says Khanna.
As experts cite scientific reasons behind the frequent disasters, the brunt of these incidents is borne by residents of the Himalayan states who have to face the consequences on a daily basis.
“Earlier, when it rained heavily, we worried, but managed. Now, even a few hours of rain brings fear. Our roads crack apart, slopes slip down and rivers overflow into homes. Last month, a landslide buried a stretch of the Manali highway, cutting us off for days. We don’t feel safe anymore, not because rain has become unbearable, but because mountains are being cut so brutally that even normal rainfall breaks them apart,” Rikhari adds.
For local populations, recurring disasters are not isolated natural tragedies, but a new normal shaped by reckless human choices. Families are losing homes repeatedly and rebuilding is becoming unaffordable.
The basic science of cloudbursts, local pockets of intense rainfall within short durations, has not drastically changed. But the outcome of these events has worsened because natural buffers are gone.
Previously, dense forests and uncemented soil absorbed sudden downpours.
Today, widened roads, concrete pavements, and haphazard construction channelise the rainwater straight into valleys and rivers, causing flash floods.
Instead of seeping underground to recharge aquifers, rainwater rushes down the bare, destabilised slopes. Consequently, what once would have been a contained event now turns into a high-velocity disaster, sweeping away entire settlements and pushing downstream flooding to harsher levels.
Experts argue that Himalayas need a sustainable development model that prioritises ecological integrity over reckless expansionism.
“Road-building should use bioengineering techniques, like slope stabilisation with native plants, as seen in some European alpine regions. Hydropower must avoid damming free-flowing rivers, opting instead for micro-hydel systems that respect river ecosystems. Consulting independent scientists, not swayed by profit motives, is crucial to ensure projects prioritise long-term ecological stability over short-term gains,” says Khanna.
This approach calls for minimising ecological disruption, using reinforced green cover, limiting blasting, mandating geological surveys before projects and placing stricter limits on deforestation. Hydropower and tourism, if conducted through smaller, decentralised projects, could still provide economic benefits without dismantling the Himalayas’ natural protection systems.
A core reason behind unchecked exploitation is corruption in construction contracts and environmental clearances. Substandard projects are often cleared with minimal scrutiny, while illegal hillside constructions flourish under political patronage.
“Policymakers must enforce stricter environmental clearances and consider moratoriums on new projects in hazard-prone Himalayan zones. Corruption, which fuels substandard projects and illegal construction, needs rigorous oversight. Authorities must prioritise sustainability over personal gain, ensuring projects withstand natural events. Empowering honest officials and engaging youth in protecting natural assets will foster accountability. Patriotism means safeguarding our environment, not exploiting it for profit,” Khanna emphasises.
“The mountains gave us everything, water, forests, livelihoods, even beauty that the world came to see. We ignored their warnings and cut them apart. Now every rainy season feels like a punishment. Unless something changes, we may be the last generation to see these hills standing tall,” adds Rikhari.