updated: Feb 20 2021, 01:12 ist
The Himalayas are young and highly fragile mountains where more than 50 hydroelectric power projects in the river basins of Bhagirathi and Alaknanda have been built. Despite the Kedarnath tragedy of 2013, which claimed more than 5,000 lives, the government has launched a massive project to widen roads along the Char Dham (Yamunotri-Gangotri-Kedarnath-Badrinath) route, increasing tourism and uncontrolled development of hotels, shops and other tourist infrastructures. Thousands of trees have been cut and the ecosystem has been disturbed. Many green hills now look barren.
The glacial flood and debris in the Rishiganga river on February 7 washed away bridges connecting dozens of villages, two power projects, along with the people at work. More than 60 people have already been confirmed dead and nearly 200 more are missing. The area is quite vast and its deep gorges and valleys are inaccessible. It is unlikely that the bodies of many missing persons will