Destruction of Dharali: adverse consequences of unbalanced development

Abstract

What recently happened on 5 August 2025 in Dharali village of Uttarkashi district in Uttarakhand state, was not just a natural disaster, but it was an explosion of the combined effects of science, the environment, and human negligence. Dozens of lives were lost in this tragedy, hundreds of people went missing, and the entire village was engulfed in a deluge of water, debris and rocks in about 20 seconds. Dharali, a small but tourist destination situated on the Gangotri road in Uttarkashi district and it is an important village from pilgrimage point of view. Dharali is not an ordinary village, situated only 18 km away from Gangotri Dham, this village is a major center of pilgrimage for pilgrims.There is a halt. This region is located in the middle ranges of the Himalayas and is situated at an altitude of more than 2500 meters. Nearby is Bhagirathi, head of Ganga.The stream and several glacial streams flow through it. The rocks here are relatively young, brittle and unstable. This entire geographical situation makes it extremely Disaster-Makes sensitive.