Abhishek|Deepak2 minutes ago
Picture of Dharali before and after the disaster. -File
Today marks one year since the devastating disaster that struck Dharali, Harsil, and the Bhagirathi Valley in Uttarkashi on August 5, 2025. Where the catastrophe buried homes, markets, hotels, fields, apple orchards, and people’s livelihoods under debris in just a few minutes, life is now slowly returning to normal.
The state government claims that over ?33 crore has been spent on development work and financial assistance in the affected area over the past year. Various departments have carried out development and rehabilitation work worth over ?16 crore, while affected families have been provided financial assistance of more than ?17 crore.
Initially, it was believed that this disaster was caused by a cloudburst, but later the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) acknowledged that the disaster was caused by the sudden collapse of a large ice patch beneath the Srikanta Glacier.
See in PHOTOS how the entire village was devastated in just moments…
Now know what happened on August 5…
On the morning of August 5, 2025, debris and strong currents from the Kheer Ganga valley in Uttarkashi caused massive devastation in Dharali, Harsil, and surrounding areas. Within just a few minutes, Dharali’s market, hotels, homestays, houses, apple orchards, and roads were buried under debris.
19 people died and 18 were injured in the disaster, while 115 people became homeless. The relief and rescue operation continued for several days, in which the Army, ITBP, NDRF, SDRF, and district administration rescued more than 1400 people.
Team taking the injured to a nearby hospital after the disaster.
Know in 4 points what has changed after one year…
- Focus not just on roads, but also on restoring employment: Post-disaster reconstruction was not limited to just roads and buildings. Crops and saplings were distributed to farmers, losses to orchards were compensated, and sheep and goat rearing was promoted. Work was done on restoring irrigation systems, repairing electricity and drinking water lines. At the same time, emphasis was also placed on restarting tourism activities to revive the economy of the Bhagirathi Valley.
- Work also on protection from future disasters: The government says that along with repairing damaged roads, flood protection work was also carried out along the riverbanks. The objective is not just to restore the old situation, but also to make the area more secure in terms of future disasters.
- War-footing Work on Rehabilitation and Infrastructure: In the past year, work has been completed on a war-footing to remove debris from villages, rapid construction of damaged roads and culverts, and restoration of water and electricity supply. To prevent recurrence of the disaster, the Irrigation and Disaster Management Department has built strong protective walls and embankments on both sides of the drains, so that villages can remain safe from future erosion.
- Vibrancy Returns Again from Apple Orchards and Tourism: Dharali is known for its juicy apples and as a major stopover on the Gangotri Dham pilgrimage. Many hectares of fertile land and apple orchards were washed away in the disaster, but villagers have started strengthening their livelihood again by caring for the remaining orchards and planting new saplings.
These days, due to rain again, Bhagirathi is in spate and the work of continuously removing debris is ongoing here.
Now understand what was the real reason behind this disaster?
Just a few months after the Dharali disaster, a study by scientists from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) made a major revelation about the cause of this accident. Scientists analyzed satellite images, digital models of mountain slopes, and videos of the incident. According to the study, this disaster was not caused by a cloudburst or a glacial lake outburst.
Flash flood occurred due to collapse of ice patch accumulated beneath the glacier
According to scientists, a large piece of permanent ice accumulated for years beneath the Shrikanta Glacier, called an ice patch, became unstable due to heat and rapidly melting ice. Due to the steep slope, it suddenly broke off and slid down, mixing with soil, stones, and ice along the way to transform into a fast-moving debris flow. This reached Dharali within a few minutes and caused a flash flood.
Image of a figure published in the research.
Biggest Evidence Found in Satellite Images
Scientists analyzed satellite images from April, June, July, and August 2025. In April, the entire area was covered with snow. In June and July, the snow was seen melting rapidly. The image from July 6 showed a large ice patch for the first time, while in the image from August 12, the same section had completely disappeared and new erosion was visible there. Scientists considered this the most important evidence.
Debris came down from a 2500-meter slope
According to the study, the ice patch was at an altitude of approximately 5220 meters, while Dharali village is located at 2680 meters. This means the ice and debris got a drop of approximately 2500 meters. Along the way, slopes of 30 to 40 degrees and the narrow valley of Kheer Gad increased the speed of the debris several times over.
CM Dhami says- Not rehabilitation, but a resolve to build the future
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the Dharali disaster was not just a challenge of infrastructural damage, but also a responsibility to put the lives of affected families back on track. He said that the government’s goal is to make the Bhagirathi valley safer, stronger and more prosperous than before. Along with relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction, continuous work is being done to reduce the impact of such disasters in the future.
