How deforestation, tourism overload have taken a big toll on Uttarakhand

New Delhi: A flurry of development projects, lopsided growth, unchecked construction and unregulated tourism over the last two decades have put enormous pressure on the fragile ecology of Uttarakhand. And the recent devastating disaster is a result of a combination of these factors.

In the last 20 years, widespread deforestation of 1.85 lakh hectares (1,850 square kilometers) has weakened the mountains’ water retention capacity and biodiversity. This has resulted in growing incidents of landslides in Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Tehri, and Chamoli.

Besides this, there has been massive influx of tourists in the region. According to some estimates, the number of tourists has tripled in two decades, crossing 50 million, putting huge strain on the Himalayan hill regions. It is estimated that over 20,000 vehicles are plying everyday on the Char Dham route. This flow of traffic is causing micro-cracks in the mountains, which are contributing to an increase in landslide incidents.

During the tourist season, Uttarakhand generates around 600 tonnes of waste every day. Most of this dumped in the hill areas., thereby contaminating water sources and accelerating soil erosion.

According to several scientists, incidents of landslides, drying up of water sources, glacier melt, and ecological imbalance in Uttarakhand are the result of twin pressures — unplanned development and rising tourism — with their impact now reaching as far as the plains of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers.

After the recent disaster in Uttarkashi, scientists pointed out that there were signs that a glacial snout at 6,700 metres broke off a few days ago, causing large amounts of ice and rock debris to build up. These debris rushed downstream with the water in the Kheer Ganga, and due to steep slope their speed increased as they moved down towards Dharali. The Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology has also not ruled out the possibility of a glacier being involved.

According to a report by the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, due to forest degradation and rising temperatures, glaciers in the state are now retreating at an average rate of 15–20 metres annually.

Back in February 2021, the Chamoli disaster occurred, in which the Rishi Ganga and Dhauliganga rivers surged, killing over 60 people and leaving 170 missing. Some scientists believed the devastation was sparked when a portion of a hanging glacier on the Nanda Devi mountain broke off, sending ice and rock crashing down. This avalanche set off a powerful surge of river water that swept away entire villages. Some glaciologists then believed that a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) was responsible for the dangerous surge.

In 2013, the Kedarnath disaster was triggered by the bursting of the Chorabari glacier. It claimed nearly 6,000 lives. All these go a long way to show how riverine areas and ecologically sensitive zones are vulnerable to climate change.

Data from the Uttarakhand Forest Department and the Union Environment Ministry reveals that about 1.85 lakh hectares of forest land were cleared for development projects between 2005 and 2025. This area is bigger than Delhi (1,484 sq km) and almost half the size of Goa (3,702 sq km), an Amar Ujala report points out. Road construction, the Char Dham project, the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag railway line, transmission lines, and mining activities have been the main reasons for deforestation.

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Uttarakhand has a total area of 53,483 square kilometres, and around 24,305 square kilometres of this — nearly 45.5% — is forest. But in the last two decades, 1,850 square kilometres of forest have reportedly been denuded, meaning the state has lost an alarming 7.6% of its forest cover.

A report by the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) revealed that 30% of the state's natural water sources -- including streams and rivulets -- have either dried up or lost their flow capacity. All this is because of deforestation.