It’s Political Greed, Not Natural Disasters, That Is Destroying the ‘Dev Bhoomi'

With rain red alerts all over North India, we are at the precipice of a new disaster. India is witnessing massive landslides, devastation in the Himalayas, overflowing rivers and 20-km long traffic jams in the NCR. In Punjab, over 3 lakh acres of farm land is affected due to floods, which could have a direct impact on food inflation and shortages this Diwali. This begs the question: Why is all this happening?

Before we arrive at any conclusion, let’s review the situation. Beginning with Uttarakhand, the Ganga and Yamuna are both overflowing and reaching their danger levels. It was recently reported that artificial lakes were created along the Yamuna due to landslides in the Yamunotri region.

Villages in the Uttarkashi region were also evacuated fearing flash floods, which destroyed areas like Dharali earlier in August. By August 25, refilling of artificial lakes on river Bhagirathi above Harsil, Uttarakhand was reported. Cloudbursts were also reported in Chamoli and Rudraprayag districts where thousands were trapped with the water exceeding all safe levels. In August, a “landslit” also caused a few deaths in Chamoli at a hydro-project.

Apart from massive damages to roads, two members of the scrutiny committee for the Bhagirathi eco-sensitive zone appointed by the Supreme Court reportedly pointed out that “the Char Dham road widening project in its current form in BESZ will spell disaster”. Perhaps we are beginning to see the disaster – in early August, the Kedarnath yatra on the highway was stopped due to landslides and excessive rain.

From Kedarnath flash floods in 2013 to Uttarkashi flash floods in 2025, several lessons remain unlearnt.

Himachal, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Delhi

Himachal Pradesh presents a grimmer picture. From Chamba to Manali to the upper regions of Himalayas, like Lahual and Spiti , all have been devastated yet again by the rains and cloud bursts. Thunag (Mandi), Kullu, Shimla are still reeling from serious cloudburst damages. Meanwhile heavy rains and flash floods continue to block highways and damage homes in multiple districts in the middle Himalayas.

In Jammu and Kashmir, the picture is no brighter. Heavy rains have paralysed Jammu-Srinagar Highway, while the public has been told to avoid rivers. Kathua, Udhampur and Reasi are reported to be among the worst-hit districts. In Kathua, the Ravi has crossed its alert mark of 523 metres, flowing at 524.97 metres and inching towards its danger level of 527.91 metres. In Udhampur, the Tawi has risen above the alert level of 15 feet, with the danger mark set at 20 feet. Meanwhile, in Akhnoor, the Chenab is still 30 feet below the danger level but continues to rise with the rain. The IMD and state weather department have issued a red alert for rain in J&K, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi-NCR.

The plains don’t look any better. All 23 districts of Punjab have been declared flood hit, while Delhi-NCR residents are in panic. Those residing in low-lying areas are being evacuated as the Yamuna has crossed its danger mark and started to enter people’s homes.

A senior government official from Himachal Pradesh, on condition of anonymity, told The Wire, “The high-altitude landscapes of the Trans-Himalaya, particularly along the upper stretches of the Satluj and Chenab rivers, are experiencing unprecedented stress. Climate change, aggressive dam-building, and rapid expansion of roads and military infrastructure under basin-wide agreements are intensifying existing vulnerabilities in this fragile ecosystem.”

He pointed to the consequences:“Increasingly visible were cloudbursts, glacial lake outbursts, and frequent slope failures” all resulting from “recurring signs of a warming mountain system, unstable debris slopes, and unpredictable flash floods.”

“Interestingly, the first warnings did not emerge from satellites or central agencies, but from Panchayat representatives and local officials on the ground, but no one in power listened,” he added.

Political greed

But people in the political class rarely listen. From the Chardham road project to various hydel-electric projects in the Himalayas, all have been questioned by experts. Yet, all of them received political approval. Many environment safety norms were changed to allow access to fragile zones for power generators. In 2020, the Supreme Court observed that the government should consider moving the controversial hydel project in Uttrakhand to non-sensitive eco zones. The Joshimath disaster is directly attributed by some experts to rampant hydel project development.

The problem is so severe that Nitin Gadkari in a speech at a FICCI event said that “….culprits were the people preparing the Detailed Project Reports (DPR). They are preparing the DPRs from their homes without studying. They are making these DPRs to make tenders and then get the companies to make the roads.”

The destruction of the Himalayas due to systematic deforestation despite strict conservation laws is a direct result of political corruption. Forest officials, local politicians and even some village communities are all complicit. They have worked in tandem with the timber mafia to exploit the Himalayan eco-system.

Illegal sand mining, bed rock mining and quarries are active with political patronage despite court orders. Our politicians and enforcement agencies are turning a blind eye to disaster of their making in exchange for private profit.

'Development projects' like roads and hydel projects in sensitive areas are all approved with political influence despite locals and experts warning against them. Those speaking out against these projects are either bought, jailed or forced to disappear. Meanwhile, revenue officials settle people on flood plains and forest land without adequate water management and disaster planning. So when the rains come, there are no trees to hold the soil and water.

Mining has destroyed natural river beds and the consequences are thousands of dead people, damage to property worth millions, disease and environmental degradation of our mountains and rivers. It’s not nature, but the greed of our political and industry elites that continues to destroy our Dev Bhoomi and people's lives for their private profits.

Indra Shekhar Singh is an independent agri-policy analyst and writer.

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