HEED THE HILLS, Pg 14.

Key Highlights:

• Uttarakhand received over 1,340 mm of rain this monsoon season, 22% above normal, leading to floods and landslides.
• Landslides in Dehradun district have swept away at least 13 people, with over 100 reportedly trapped.
• The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) will re-examine the safety of parts of the Uttarkashi-Gangotri road, a segment of the Char Dham Highway project.
• Experts suggest eco-sensitive planning is crucial to reduce the vulnerability of high-altitude regions to extreme weather.

Detailed Insights:

• The Himalayan region's geology makes it naturally prone to instability, which is worsened by cutting into mountains for road construction.
• Rock blasting during road widening fractures rock masses, creating potential landslide zones, as highlighted in a study in the journal Natural Hazard and Earth System Sciences.
• Experts have raised concerns about the Char Dham project, stating that widening valley sides has created new landslide zones.
• Tree felling for the project was flagged as a concern, as trees stabilize slopes and prevent avalanches, but these suggestions were ignored.
• The loss of trees increases surface runoff, saturating soil and increasing the region’s susceptibility to landslides during heavy rainfall or snowmelt.
• The Centre and the Uttarakhand government need to balance tourism expansion with environmental sensitivity and heed expert warnings.
• The MoRTH review should mark the start of a necessary course correction, emphasizing environmental due processes and better disaster warning systems.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Landslide: The movement of a mass of rock, debris, or earth down a slope.
• Flash Flood: A sudden, localized flood of great volume and short duration.
• Eco-sensitive Planning: Development that considers and minimizes environmental impact.