With the onset of the turbulent monsoon season in the hills, dreaded landslides, cloudbursts and flashfloods have started in various parts of the state, including the 1,607-km-long Chardham Yatra route.

This pilgrim's road stretches from Haridwar-Rishikesh in the plains to the holy shrines of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri in the high-altitude, remote upper reaches of Garhwal division.

As recently as last week, heavy rains lashed the region causing devastating landslides in Kedarnath area due to a sudden cloudburst on July 31. This happened at Junglechatti near Lincholi in Rudraprayag district.

Around 14 people were reported killed in such incidents across Garhwal and nearly 1,500 pilgrims bound for Kedarnath Dham were stranded on the road where rescue operations were being conducted by the local authorities. 

The units of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) posted there were directed to stay on high alert round-the-clock in the affected areas.

Earlier, the Uttarakhand Government had issued a safety advisory for Chardham Yatra pilgrims in view of forecasts of heavy rainfall across the state. Devotees were urged to delay their journey and remain at safe locations until weather conditions improved. Meanwhile, the Chardham Yatra has been suspended by the state government till the weather clears.

Fragile Geology, Human Intervention & Weather 

The recurring problem of these natural mishaps is due to a combination of man-made interventions, fragile geological conditions, vagaries of changing weather as well as booming commercialisation along the entire route.

All these factors combine to concoct a deadly mixture which often leads to severe catastrophes causing a large number of fatalities as well as damage and destruction of property at various points along this long route that stretches across as many as five districts of Garhwal division.

These factors are quite similar to those that led to the recent fatal landslides and floods in Mundukkai village and nearby areas in Wayanad,  according to Dr. D.C. Nailwal, a senior Dehradun-based geologist and academic.

"Landslides and earthquakes are two major geological hazards that are common in the Himalayan terrain and difficult to predict in advance. The frequency of these phenomena is on a rising trend in recent years," Nailwal, a former Principal of Shaheed Durgamal Government Postgraduate College, told The Secretariat.

Minor quake tremors of a low intensity are now frequently experienced in the region around the year.

Shifting Tectonic Plates The Bane of The Himalayas

The reason for this, the geologist explained, is that there is a continuous slow movement of the underground Indian tectonic plate towards the Eurasian tectonic plate that lies below China's Tibet region towards the north.

The resultant pressure built up by the collision of the two plates leads to the development of cracks or ‘faults’ in the rock formations deep down below the surface of the mountains. Hence, the quake tremors of varying intensity across the Himalayas.

In terms of geological origin, the Himalayas are the youngest in age compared to other mountain ranges across India, such as the Aravallis, Satpura, or the Vindhyas and Nilgiris in the south. Thus, they are extremely fragile geologically.

The frequent tremors often disturb the delicate balance of the soil and rock formations in the mountains, thereby setting off small or big hazardous landslides and rockfalls that take a heavy toll on life and property.

These become more common during the rainy season of July-August when heavy downpours and sudden cloudbursts lead to flash floods and accentuate soil erosion. Manmade causes, in the form of developmental and commercial construction activity, further add to the natural ones upsetting the region's delicate ecological balance.

Referring to the ongoing widespread construction and mountain-cutting activity all along the Chardham route, to widen the existing national highways for the central government’s ambitious ‘Chardham Mahamarg Vikas Pariyojana’ project, Nailwal struck a note of caution.

Extensive drilling and rock-cutting in this ecologically sensitive and geologically fragile mountainous region by heavy machinery produces vibrations that may disturb its delicate balance and set off landslide activity.

Therefore, while development work is a necessity, it is essential to maintain stringent safeguards in the execution of the project and follow ecologically sustainable construction practices.

He also emphasized the need to carry out extensive surveys and multi-disciplinary ecological impact assessments for identifying vulnerable spots besides scrupulously observing engineering safety measures.         

Last year some 41 workers were trapped inside the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel, while it was under construction on the project route in Tehri Garhwal district. The workers were finally rescued by the army and local authorities after a harrowing 17-day ordeal.  

Ecological activists such as Hem Gairola, who was earlier with the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and is now based in Pauri, feel more projects such as the railway link planned to connect Rishikesh in the plains and Karnaprayag high up on the Chardham route, may hurt the stability of these fragile rocks of the area, 

“The pertinent issue is the vulnerability of these fragile Himalayan mountains which cannot be restored once disturbed. Once geological disturbances are set into motion by this widespread construction activity, they will have serious consequences over a long period in the future,” Gairola pointed out.

However, the state government is sanguine that the projects would be able to achieve their connectivity end results without any ecological disturbance. In a conversation with The Secretariat, BJP MP from Pauri Garhwal constituency, Anil Baluni, emphasised that the government had ensured all scientific assessment measures and safeguards were being undertaken in the construction of the projects.

In the absence of proper connectivity, modern facilities and employment, there was a mass migration of residents from this region leading to numerous desolate ‘ghost villages’ everywhere, Baluni pointed out.

Urbanisation & Commercialisation Of Tourist Spots

Apart from the geological factors, another serious cause of concern in the region is the unbridled, unplanned, widespread commercial construction and urbanisation along the Chardham Yatra circuit due to the very heavy influx of pilgrims and tourist population from all over India.

According to Prashant Negi, a retired official of the state government’s tourist body Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN), the state is now "witnessing an unprecedented deluge of pilgrims and tourists flocking to the Chardham circuit compared to earlier decades".           

The situation worsens during the monsoon season when heavy rains cause landslides and road blockages at various points along the long route where the pilgrims are stranded amid difficult conditions for several days till evacuated by local authorities.  

“During my tenure at GMVN, the pilgrim yatra never had to be regulated or stopped at any point by the local authorities. But now the situation is utterly chaotic and unmanageable due to the mad rush that is on in this season", Negi pointed out.

"The road blockades start from Rishikesh and Haridwar itself at the beginning of the route where thousands of pilgrims are stranded as the highway is blocked at several points uphill due to major landslides during the heavy rainfall,” Negi said.  

Yogesh Dhasmana, a Dehradun-based researcher and historian pointed out that according to official data, as many as 3.5 million pilgrims and tourists had already visited the four holy shrines of Chardham from May till mid-July 2024.

With the yatra season continuing till mid-November this figure is expected to cross last year's record of 5.4 million tourists.

Pointing out that the entire Chardham Yatra route is situated in the high-risk seismic zones IV and V,  Dhasmana said that the torrential rains during monsoon season make conditions more hazardous due to the threat of frequent flash floods, cloudbursts and swollen rivers overflowing all over the region. 

Compared to Wayanad, the number of tourists is considerably higher in the Chardham area and fears are that any disaster in the region would impact far more people.

It would consequently be prudent to take serious note of the advice of geological experts from various institutions time and again to install high-tech early warning systems in the sensitive Himalayan zone to forewarn the possibility of major earthquakes, landslides and floods in the region.

(Hemendra Singh Bartwal is an independent journalist, political analyst and commentator who earlier worked for Hindustan Times, Times of India and The Telegraph. He is also a former Political Adviser to the British High Commission, New Delhi. Views expressed are personal.)         

Here is a link to part 1 of the series, which was a deep dive into how Delhi joined a long line of Indian cities that are combatting floods, water-logging and house collapses.