Scary visuals and messages on social media as also some of the pronouncements of the Supreme Court about Himachal Pradesh have shown that Western. Himalayan states have faced multiple flood disasters in the ongoing SW Monsoon 2025. Landscape of Himalayas is known to be vulnerable to landslides, mudslips, cloudbursts, flash-floods, GLOFs, erosion, seismicity and floods. While some floods are inevitable in the kind of climate prevailing here, how they become disasters is linked to the way we have treated the landscape, environment, regulations, people and floods.
Continue reading “2025 Western Himalayan Floods: What can be done to reduce disastrous impacts?”Tag: Landslide
Aug 2025: Yamuna Flows Blocked at Syana Chatti in Uttarakhand
(Feature Image: Buildings submerged in artificial lake following blockage in Yamuna river at Syana Chatti)
Blockage of Yamuna flows has resulted in formation of an artificial lake in the Yamuna river on August 21, 2025 at Syana Chatti in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. The lake is a result of debris and mud floods in Kupada khad (Garh gaad) after the rains in the morning. The water level in the lake dipped in the afternoon and increased again following fresh debris slide from the stream without any rain activity around 04:30 pm.
Continue reading “Aug 2025: Yamuna Flows Blocked at Syana Chatti in Uttarakhand”
Aug 2025: Five Road Workers Missing After Flashfloods in Pauri-Uttarakhand
(Feature Image: Search Operation on Aug 07, 2025 in Katola gaad of Bankura village in Chauthan Patti, Thaisain, Pauri. Source: Uttarakhand Police)
The Chauthan Patti under Thailisain block of Pauri Garhwal district in Uttarakhand has again been battered by excessive rainfall events on August 06 2025. Villagers have reported of 3 incidents of ‘cloudburst’ induced flashflood causing severe damages in Bankura, Mansari and Sarson villages.
Continue reading “Aug 2025: Five Road Workers Missing After Flashfloods in Pauri-Uttarakhand”
Aug 2025: Rockslide at Vishnugad-Pipalkoti in Uttarakhand
(Feature Image: Rockslide at dam site of 444 Mw Vishnugad-Pipalkoti HEP on Aug 02, 2025)
At least 12 workers sustained injuries in a rockslide at the under construction Vsihnugad-Pipalkoti Hydro-Electric Power (VPHEP) project in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. The 444 Mw (111X4) project is being built on Alaknanda River by the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation (THDC).
Continue reading “Aug 2025: Rockslide at Vishnugad-Pipalkoti in Uttarakhand”
July 2025: Flash Flood Destroys Patikari Hydro Project in Himachal
(Feature Image: Dam site of Patikari HEP destroyed by the flash flood.)
A ‘cloudburst’ induced deluge on the intervening night of June 30 and July 01, 2025 has totally destroyed the Patikari Hydroelectric Power (HEP) project in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh. The 16 Mw project was built in Gudah village on Bakhali khad (Kuklah stream) a tributary of Beas River upstream Pandoh dam. The main project structures including the dam site and powerhouse have been washed away in the disaster. The 12 workers of the project managed to escape in the nick of time.
Continue reading “July 2025: Flash Flood Destroys Patikari Hydro Project in Himachal”
Jammu & Kashmir: ‘Cloudburst’ damages Karnah HEP in Jhelum Basin in May 2025
(Feature Image: Screenshot of video shared by Kashmir Weather on X platform showing powerhouse of 12 Mw Karnah HEP flooded after ‘cloudburst’ disaster on May 27, 2025 evening)
A ‘cloudburst’ induced deluge and landslide has severely affected the under construction 12 Mw Karnah Hydro Power Project in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district in evening hours of May 27, 2025. The extreme weather event between 04:45 PM to 05:45 PM, flooded the project.
Continue reading “Jammu & Kashmir: ‘Cloudburst’ damages Karnah HEP in Jhelum Basin in May 2025”
Jammu-Srinagar NH-44 An Unfolding Long Term Disaster in Ramban District?
(Feature Image: Social media image showing scroes of vehicles precariously standing on severely damaaged NH 44 in Ramban on April 20, 2025)
After April 20, 2025 ‘cloudburst’ disaster in Ramban, the role of Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH) 44 has been under criticism for adding into the devastation trail. While a significant portion of the NH has been severely damaged in the aftermath, the residents have also blamed the NH work for compromising the drainage system and increasing destruction toll in the affected area.
Continue reading “Jammu-Srinagar NH-44 An Unfolding Long Term Disaster in Ramban District?”
CWC, IMD Need to Improve Extreme Weather Forecast Services
The rising numbers and intensity of western disturbances (WDs) in pre-monsoon months are causing excessive but short rainfall spells across the country particularly in the Himalayan states. These events are then resulting in sudden flash floods and taking a huge toll on human life and public infrastructure. However, the specific monitoring and warning services for such disasters by the Central Water Commission (CWC) & Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) are largely unavailable as these agencies are mainly forecasting floods during the monsoon.
Continue reading “CWC, IMD Need to Improve Extreme Weather Forecast Services”
Of Landslides, Spirits and Stories
The Science and Myth surrounding a Himalayan Landslide
Here, in this central spot where three valleys come together
Is the triangle from which all phenomena originate,
An abode of the yoginis of the past,
A place for practitioners in the future.
~ A Tibetan prayer to the sacred Drilbu Ri Mountain where Rivers Chandra and Bhaga meet to form the Chenab
On a crisp September morning, we clank across an iron suspension bridge on the River Chandra to enter the valley of Bhaga. We are tracing the origins of Bhaga and will be reaching Barlacha La pass at an altitude of 15,900 feet in a few hours. Madly fluttering prayer flags swaddling the bridge and the roaring river below make it seem as if, like the prayers, we are adrift on the wind too. Below, on the toasty river sands, a few men doze like monitor lizards.
Continue reading “Of Landslides, Spirits and Stories”
DRP 100225: EAC & MoEF’s shocking decision to clear Teesta 3 Dam raises a stir
(Feature Image: Teesta III HEP dam was washed away on the intervening night of Oct. 3-4, 2023 on account of a GLOF. The flood in the downstream was magnified by the dam disaster. Photo: Mayalmit Lepcha/Source: Sanctuary Nature Foundation)
The decision of Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF)’s Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) on River Valley Projects on Jan 10 2025 has understandably raised a stir and earlier the EAC and MoEF reviews and reverses this decision, better it will be. The decision is shocking on a number of counts. The EAC itself had raised a number of issues related to the project in its earlier meeting, but decided to clear the project without getting satisfactory resolution of the issues.
Continue reading “DRP 100225: EAC & MoEF’s shocking decision to clear Teesta 3 Dam raises a stir”
SANDRP 