From 8.30am to 4.30pm on Tuesday, six weather stations across Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand recorded a combined 120mm rainfall, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). While the rainfall was
light to moderate, it was relentless for the past three days. Around 1.40pm, a sudden and massive deluge occurred in the Kheer Ganga stream, striking Dharali village—located along the banks—and causing massive destruction.
But meteorologists say the rainfall over the affected region was not sufficient to be declared a ‘cloudburst’—a sudden extreme rainfall, 100mm or more, within a very short period, typically an hour, over a relatively small area.
“While we cannot confirm if a cloudburst has occurred, we also cannot rule it out. Sometimes, extremely heavy rainfall can occur in the upper reaches of northern Uttarkashi, and even parts of Tibet. When this happens, the run-off flows southward. Just yesterday, we saw flooding in Uttar Pradesh due to inflow from the upper catchment areas of the Ganga, and Yamuna rivers in Uttarakhand. In Uttarakhand, which is already most vulnerable, it can trigger massive landslides and flash floods,” said Dr M Mohapatra, Director-General, India Meteorological Department (IMD).
With the southwest monsoon in full swing, the monsoon trough is also currently located north of its normal position—a period when the foothills of Himalayas get a lot of rain. Over the preceding 24 hours, Haridwar in Uttarakhand received nearly 300mm rainfall until 8am on Tuesday, with 170mm in Narendranagar in Pauri Gharwal and 140mm in Rishikesh. Multiple stations recorded over 100mm rain, which continued through Tuesday.
A western disturbance is also present in the middle atmosphere, with another low-pressure trough extending from northwest Uttar Pradesh to the north-east Arabian Sea near the surface. Together, the two systems can further lead to increased rainfall over the north-western region, according to the weather department.
“I don’t know the exact cause. But the weather conditions over the region were favourable for very heavy rainfall. There have been heavy rains since August 3, and we have been issuing warnings accordingly—from orange to red alert. In the preceding 24 hours, Haridwar recorded nearly 300mm rainfall,” said Mohapatra. The weather department has further warned of heavy rains over Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh till August 11.
A FAILED EARLY WARNING SYSTEM
As water gushed through the narrow stream from the steep heights, it took only seconds to engulf the newly built houses and submerge the village. Locals say most of these structures were constructed in recent years, dangerously close to the stream—a clear violation of environmental norms. But more alarming was the absence of any early warning system that could have prompted timely evacuations and saved lives.
“Uttarakhand faces disasters every monsoon season—cloudbursts, landslides, and flash floods have become more frequent than ever. But where is the early warning? Even a few minutes’ notice could have saved many lives,” said environmental activist Atul Satti.
India currently operates over 49 Doppler Weather Radars and plans to cover the entire country under its radar network within the next two years. At least three of these are operational in Uttarakhand—a state with a fragile Himalayan landscape highly vulnerable to disasters, which are being intensified by unregulated construction and the growing impact of climate change. After installations in Mukteshwar and Surkanda Devi, a new X-band radar with a 150 km observation range was also recently commissioned in Lansdowne, Uttarakhand.
