This July, a series of cloudbursts triggered more than 60 landslides across Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand within two weeks, blocking national highways, damaging hydropower projects, and displacing hundreds of families. According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), landslides account for nearly 12% of all natural disasters in India, with the Himalayan region being the most severely impacted. The rising frequency of these events is not only a humanitarian concern but also a major challenge for infrastructure planning and regional economic stability.
A Fragile Mountain System Under Pressure
The Himalayas are geologically young mountains, still rising and inherently fragile. When coupled with rapid urbanisation, infrastructure expansion, and climate-driven extreme rainfall, the result is a highly unstable terrain. A report by the Geological Survey of India (2023) highlighted that more than 15% of India’s landmass is prone to landslides, with Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and the North-Eastern states being the most vulnerable. Yet, much of the infrastructure development in these states—roads, tunnels, hydropower plants—proceeds without rigorous geo-technical risk assessments. This policy gap is central to why landslide losses are increasing.
Climate Extremes and Rainfall Variability
“Climate change is amplifying the frequency of high-intensity rainfall events in the Himalayas,” said a recent IMD (India Meteorological Department) bulletin. Unlike normal monsoon rains, these cloudbursts overwhelm soil stability, triggering sudden slope failures. In 2023, Uttarakhand recorded a 22% above-normal rainfall, with over 250 reported landslides blocking arterial highways like the Badrinath and Kedarnath routes. This not only disrupts pilgrim tourism but also places pressure on emergency services and local economies dependent on seasonal mobility. Integrating climate projections into infrastructure planning remains a missing link in state policies.
Infrastructure and Land-Use Mismanagement
Highways widened under the Bharatmala Pariyojana and expanding hydropower tunnels have altered natural slopes and disturbed drainage channels. According to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) 2022 review, many projects in Uttarakhand bypassed environmental clearance norms or executed compensatory afforestation poorly. For example, the Char Dham highway expansion has been repeatedly flagged for cutting deep into unstable slopes without sufficient slope protection measures. As geologist Professor D.P. Dobhal notes, “When you combine fragile geology with poor engineering, you set the stage for cascading slope failures.” A stricter regulatory mechanism is needed to ensure that construction in these zones adheres to geo-technical safety standards.
Weak Enforcement of Hazard Zonation and Early Warning Systems
Hazard zonation maps have been prepared by agencies like GSI and NDMA, but their enforcement at the district planning level is inconsistent. In Himachal Pradesh, the 2021 Kinnaur landslide that killed 28 passengers on a bus route occurred in a zone previously flagged as “high hazard.” However, no restrictions were imposed on road realignment in that stretch. While ISRO’s satellite-based landslide monitoring and NDMA’s pilot early warning systems are promising, scaling them up requires stronger coordination between state disaster management authorities and local governments. Without such integration, hazard maps remain academic exercises rather than operational tools.
Conclusion: A Policy Shift Towards Resilient Growth
Frequent Himalayan landslides are not just acts of nature—they are compounded by policy blind spots. States must prioritise three measures: mandating geo-technical audits for all mountain infrastructure, integrating climate-risk assessments into project approvals, and operationalising hazard zonation in district-level planning. Doing so would reduce the economic cost of road blockages, safeguard hydropower investments, and protect lives. A resilient approach will ensure that infrastructure growth in the Himalayas supports long-term social and economic stability rather than perpetuating cycles of disaster and recovery.
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