The India Climate Justice (ICJ) has stated that the extreme and earlier than usual rainfall which caused the devastation in Kedarnath and other parts of Uttarakhand, seems to indicate a global warming induced climate change phenomenon.
According to a statement released by the ICJ, “In Uttarakhand, a chaotic process of ‘development’ that goes back many years exacerbated the effects of this extreme rain. The natural monsoon cycle in India has already been badly disrupted, and a new cycle of extreme rainfall events and prolonged droughts have been reported from all over the country in the recent past. Thus, contrary to statements by senior politicians, the Uttarakhand disaster is not natural: it is no less man-made than the other contributors to the tragedy. And if it is indeed induced by global warming, similar catastrophes could recur with increasing frequency and intensity anywhere in the country in the coming years”.
According to ICJ, extensive deforestation of mountain tracts, by the State and more recently due to ‘development’ projects, led to soil erosion and water run-off, thus destabilising mountain slopes and contributing to more intense and frequent landslides and floods.
Unchecked mountain tourism has caused a huge increase in vehicular traffic, spread of roads not suitable to this mountainous terrain, and the construction of poorly designed and unregulated hotels and structures, many near rivers. Most of all, the construction and planning of dams for hydro power projects have destabilised an already fragile ecosystem and threatened biodiversity.
“About 600 dams are in various stages of planning or construction in Uttarakhand alone. These dams have a direct connection with the extent of the damage that can be caused in such flooding events, in that the tunneling and excavation in the so-called run-of-the-river projects cause huge and unregulated dumping of excavated debris into river basins, leading to increased siltation, and in turn aggravating the flood situation,” points out the ICJ statement while adding that in 2009, the CAG had warned the Government of Uttarakhand that the “potential cumulative effect of multiple run-of-the-river projects can turn out to be environmentally damaging”.
ICJ has demanded that Central and State Governments retreat to a low carbon pathway of development with equity, decent employment and sustainability at its core.
Planning and construction of dams in the entire Indian Himalayas should be reviewed and all construction should be halted until such a review is carried out. The use of explosives in all such infrastructure development works should also be completely stopped.
The ICJ has also demanded that apart from implementing eco-sensitive zone measures in ecologically fragile areas, river regulation zones should be enforced to prohibit construction of permanent structures within 100 metres of any river.