A distress call from the MOUNTAINS

Floods and landslides, caused by rising temperatures, receding glaciers and erratic rainfall, are leaving behind a trail of disasters in the ecologically-fragile Himalayan region. Sadly, these extreme weather events have cut no ice with the policymakers

- VAISHALI DAR

THIS YEAR, THE monsoon has not been kind to the states straddling the Himalayas in northern India. Just a month after record showers killed more than 100 people over two weeks in parts of the region, heavy rains that began over the weekend on August 12 once again triggered floods and landslides, leaving at least 81 people dead and many others affected.

Among the worst hit is Himachal Pradesh. On August 14, a Shiv Temple near Summerhill in Shimla bore the brunt hear summer of devastating rains after it collapsed due to a landslide, leaving nine dead and dozens trapped in the debris. With this, MES the toll of landslides and other weather in m related events in recent days in Himachal Pradesh has reached 74, as per officials.

Similarly, in nearby Uttarakhand, which is yet to recover from the horrors of the 2021 flash floods that killed nearly 200 people and washed away several houses, several people have died in the monsoon rains this season, as per reports.

While floods and landslides, and the resultant devastation, during the monsoon season in these parts of the country are not uncommon, experts say the climate crisis is increasing their frequency and severity.

Tectonic shift

Fresh cracks have reportedly appeared in Joshimath, with the existing ones widening, as heavy rains once again batter Uttarakhand.

Earlier this year, the Himalayan town saw the displacement of hundreds of inhabitants after their houses developed cracks with varying degrees of damage. Eventually, over 700 of the approximately 4,500 structures, along with the streets and paved areas, in the area showed cracking. Work began on January 9 to demolish the unsafe buildings.