ISSUE DATE: February 22, 2021
UPDATED: February 15, 2021 14:06 IST
MISSION RESCUE: ITBP troopers look for survivors inside a tunnel at a hydropower plant in the aftermath of the flash floods in Chamoli, Uttarakhand, on February 7
The disaster that unfolded on February 7 in the higher reaches of Uttarakhand after a portion of a ‘hanging glacier’ on the slopes of Nanda Devi broke off and triggered flash floods strikes yet another environmental alarm bell for India’s Himalayan regions. The glacial collapse, near Raini village above Joshimath in the state’s Chamoli district, sent a wall of water and debris down the Dhauliganga and Rishiganga tributaries of the Alaknanda river, causing significant destruction along the route, including damage to major hydropower projects. At least 32 people are dead and over 170 are reported missing.