A delay in logging today compared to the gradual improvements made over the past few days.
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The following report provides important information about how nature has responded to the decades old ills of human kind, in the most ecologically sensitive part of the world:
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A Himalayan Crisis
* Soumya Dutta, MAUSAM/ NAPM.
A deadly combination of Climate Change Crisis (which itself is a result of the "extractive-expansionist-capitalist" economic model adopted globally) and all round 'insane developmentalism' - is wrecking havoc across the Hindukush Himalayas.
Most of these were predicted for over a decade by many climate scientists, climate & ecological justice activists and few concerned planners, but those warnings were largely ignored.
Now it's Payback Time.
The year 2025 has most likely seen an increase in climatic disasters in the Himalayan region (excluding Earthquakes, which are not Climate change driven), primarily driven by intensified monsoon rains, cloudbursts, flash floods, landslides and glacial lake outbursts, exacerbated by climate change and western disturbances. Not to talk about the intensified Heatwaves in the lower Himalayas.
And it's to be noted, that no La Nina (which increases rainfall in the Indian subcontinent) is prevailing in the Equatorial Pacific Ocean now, nor an El Nino. It's ENSO neutral condition prevailing now. So the entire effects can be likely attributed to Climate Crisis & local mal-development .
From the better known media reports, no Major Himalayan disasters were reported from January to May 2025, with events ramping up during the monsoon season starting in June. The list below, which is not an exhaustive list; shows distinct, verified events with available dates or timeframes, noted from news reports and analyses.
Cumulative death tolls for the monsoon period include over 145 in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh combined, 130 in Himachal Pradesh alone (from 74 flash floods, 39 cloudbursts and 73 major landslides) and around 300 in northwest Pakistan (including Pakistani-administered Jammu & Kashmir).
A. Late June 2025: Cloudburst in Kullu and Kangra districts, Himachal Pradesh, India
A cloudburst triggered deadly floods near the Indira Priyadarshini Hydroelectric Project, killing 2 people and leaving up to 20 missing, with significant damage to infrastructure in this vulnerable Himalayan area.
B. July 2025 (multiple incidents): Flash floods and landslides across Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, India
Ongoing heavy monsoon rains led to nature's fury through multiple flash floods and landslides, causing deaths (exact toll unspecified in reports) and widespread destruction in these states, highlighting the region's increasing vulnerability to extreme weather.
C. July 28-29, 2025: Cloudburst in Mandi town, Himachal Pradesh, India.
An intense cloudburst-type rainfall event, influenced by a western disturbance, triggered a flash flood that killed 3 people and caused localized havoc in the area.
D. August 5, 2025: Flash flood in Dharali and Harsil villages, Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand, India
A sudden flash flood, possibly caused by a cloudburst, glacial lake outburst, or glacier collapse, overwhelmed the Kheer Ganga river, submerging markets, destroying 50 hotels and 40-50 houses and damaging an army camp. At least 5 confirmed dead, with over 70 presumed dead and 43 still missing as of mid-August; a temporary lake formed upstream, raising further flood risks.
E. Early-Mid August 2025: Cloudburst and flash floods in Chashoti, Kishtwar district, Jammu & Kashmir, (Indian-administered)
A massive cloudburst caused devastating flash floods and landslides along a pilgrimage route in this remote Himalayan area, killing at least 44 people, leaving dozens missing, and requiring extensive rescue operations by NDRF, SDRF, army and volunteers amid challenging terrain.
F. August 17, 2025: Cloudburst in Kathua district, Jammu (Indian-administered)
A severe cloudburst led to terrifying flooding, with water and debris surging through the area; army, NDRF and RSS teams conducted relief and rescue operations, though specific casualty figures were not detailed in initial reports.
G. August 22, 2025: Glacial lake outburst flood in Gilgit-Baltistan, (Pakistani-administered)
A GLOF in this northern Himalayan region triggered cascading floods, demonstrating the dangers of warming-induced glacier melt, though specific casualty details were not immediately reported.
H. August 2025 (ongoing monsoon period): Widespread monsoon floods in northwest Pakistan (including Swat River and Mingora)
Torrential rains caused powerful floodwaters and debris flows, killing at least 227 people overall in the region, washing away homes, and triggering landslides; this is part of broader monsoon devastation in the Hindu Kush Himalayas.
I. Summer 2025 (specific dates unspecified, reported in late August): Devastating floods in Kashmir region, (Indian-administered)
Recurring floods highlighted climate instability and human impacts, compounding geopolitical tensions and hindering solutions; exact casualties not specified but part of the season's havoc.
J. August 26, 2025: Landslide en route to Vaishno Devi shrine, Jammu (Indian-administered)
A landslide, amid monsoon rains wreaking havoc on Himalayan states, killed and estimated 13 people and injured 14, with experts warning of risks from unchecked construction along riverbanks and slopes.
The Himalayas have been ringing the warning bells very loud and clear, for the past few years especially. It's up to us all to rise to the challenge, restraint the destruction engines and heal the Himalayas. The question is not how to do that, we already know. The main question is will the profiteering juggernaut of extractive-expansionism be called to account and halted in its devastation path? And that's not a billion dollar question, but a question of choosing between the long term sustenance of the Himalayan ecosystem and its slow destruction.
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Note: The report above has been slightly edited for clarity and ensuring the outstanding people's reference on either side of Jammu & Kashmir is acknowledged, rather than these areas being assumed to be an integral part of either India or Pakistan.
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