Dharali Disaster – a Grim Reminder of Uttarakhand’s Fragility: SDC Foundation’s August 2025 UDAAI Report Calls for Ecologically Sensitive Planning
Dehradun: The August 2025 edition of the monthly Uttarakhand Disaster & Accident Analysis Initiative (UDAAI) report, released by Dehradun-based environmental action and advocacy group SDC Foundation, paints a sobering picture of the state’s deepening disaster crisis. The month was marked by multiple tragedies across Uttarakhand, but the August 5 Dharali disaster in Uttarkashi district stood out as one of the most catastrophic in recent years.
A sudden flash flood in the Khir Ganga River flattened Dharali village within seconds, sweeping away homes, shops, and people, leaving at least 43 missing in the initial days. The deluge also damaged army camps, a helipad in Harsil, and created a temporary lake in the Bhagirathi River.
The devastation reignited concerns over the planned felling of over 6,000 deodar trees in the Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone (BESZ), where experts had long warned of moraine-filled, disaster-prone terrain. Environmentalists and scientists flagged that tree loss, slope excavation, and debris dumping were intensifying risks in the fragile Himalayas. Days later, two SC-appointed experts cautioned the Union ministry that the Char Dham road project, if pursued in its current form, could trigger further calamities, urging adoption of alternate designs and stricter eco-sensitive protections across Himalayan valleys.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami responded by announcing a rehabilitation package for Dharali modeled on Joshimath, while also committing to ban all new construction in disaster-sensitive areas of the state. He directed immediate geological assessments of Dharali and emphasized that no new settlements will be allowed in vulnerable zones.
The UDAAI report also documents a spate of other tragedies in August including landslides at Chamoli’s hydropower project site, rain-related deaths in Kotdwar, Haldwani, and Pauri, devastation in Tharali and Syana Chatti, and floods across Rudraprayag, Chamoli, and Bageshwar. Collectively, these events highlight how extreme weather, compounded by ecological mismanagement, is pushing Uttarakhand to the brink.
Commenting on the findings, Anoop Nautiyal, Founder of SDC Foundation, said, “The Dharali disaster has once again shown that what are commonly called natural calamities are in fact man-made tragedies in the making. Our fragile Himalayan state cannot afford business-as-usual development. We must move urgently towards ecologically sensitive planning, strict regulation of construction, and climate-resilient governance if we are to safeguard Uttarakhand’s future.”
Anoop Nautiyal also welcomed and expressed gratitude to the UDAAI editorial and research team, adding, “I am deeply grateful to Gautam Kumar, Riya Raj, Misbah Khan, and Shubhransh Vir for joining the UDAAI editorial team alongside Prerna Raturi and Praveen Upreti. Their commitment to rigorous documentation ensures that these reports serve as reliable public records.”
SDC Foundation has repeatedly urged a range of interventions including early warning systems, slope stabilization, glacial monitoring, crowd safety protocols, and stricter compliance on infrastructure projects. In the coming days, the organization will release a special three-month feature of UDAAI focusing exclusively on the devastating disasters and extreme climate events of July, August, and September 2025. The organisation will highlight the increasing disaster and climate risks in Uttarakhand with call for sustained action from all stakeholders on the eve of Uttarakhand’s 25th statehood anniversary on November 9.
The August 2025 report is the 35th monthly UDAAI report since the initiative began in October 2022, aimed at driving informed conversations and actions around disaster risk reduction and developing a culture of climate resilience in Uttarakhand.
