Deteriorating climatic conditions and freak weather phenomenon could not upend the disaster that has befallen India’s north this year. The states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Punjab have been battered by floods, cloudbursts, and intense, unprecedented rainfall. The devastation left behind in the form of toll on human and animal life, loss of property, homes, and crops accounts to thousands of crores of rupees.
Inadequate preparedness, exploitation of land for human use, and increasing carbon footprint have made it nearly impossible to contain havoc-wreaking weather patterns.
Freak weather
Cloudbursts are quite expected in the mountainous regions, say weather experts. Warm, humid air trapped within the confines of high mountains rises up in convection currents to rapidly gain more moisture, leading to intense, quick rainfall called orographic rainfall, that may be hard to detect by Doppler radars and rain gauges.
As warm, moisture-laden monsoon winds make their way from the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea towards India’s north, they collide with cooler Himalayan air to form cumulonimbus clouds that result in torrential rain, especially in vulnerable states like Jammu and Kashmir, which has steep slopes and narrow valleys.
Also Read: Flashfloods cause heavy damage in Lahaul-Spiti district
Chishoti village in district Kishtwar of Jammu and Kashmir witnessed one such cloudburst on August 14, 2025, that triggered flash floods, killing 60 and injuring over 100 besides sweeping away homes, bridges, and pilgrim camps.
Several other such calamities were reported in Kathua (on August 17), Ramban, Doda and even Chennai's Manali.
The loss accrued because of these disasters – both economic and human – has been paralysing. At least 1400 villages in Punjab are submerged, 30 people dead and millions of hectares of crops destroyed. Vital infrastructure has collapsed, like the bridge over River Tawi in Jammu; the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, which was blocked; and homes and belongings of people. After livestock are swept away and livelihoods ruined, the onslaught of health risks and rising diseases from contaminated water adds to these calamities’ danger.
A research from the Ministry of Earth Sciences (1969–2015) has noted a significant rise in short-span, high-intensity rainfall events, with the Western Himalayas seeing one additional cloudburst per decade. The most compelling reasons for these are rising temperatures, glacial retreat, and increased convective activity that makes them more frequent and severe.
Why do disaster management bodies fall short in addressing climatic calamities?
The Disaster Management Act of 2005 and the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) provide a framework for dealing with hyper-localised weather challenges like cloudbursts, but fall woefully short of their detection. Owing to their small scale and rapid onset, warnings for cloudbursts appear too late, especially in remote areas with limited connectivity.
The India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Ensemble Prediction System and Flash Flood Guidance System has better forecasting capability, but remains inefficient when it comes to delivering timely alerts. Hazard mapping by cartographers also does not specify historical flood paths or safe zones.
Human intervention to counter climate change
Unchecked tourism, especially in high-risk areas, combined with unlawful and mindless development projects have exacerbated climate crisis in North India.
The government must prioritise policy interventions that give precedence to protecting forest cover, increasing afforestation to help prevent soil erosion, and amplify the country’s preparedness in handling freak weather phenomenon.
Investing in Doppler radar coverage and establishing dense rain gauge systems, especially in cloudburst-prone areas like Jammu and Kashmir, can help the administration prepare for critical dangers in time with its early-warning technology.
The Himalayan Cloud Observatory in Uttarakhand, which is currently in testing, may prove to be a life-saver if scaled across Jammu and Kashmir to study cloud dynamics and improve predictions.
For this, communication networks require robust expansion, so that mobile-based alerts sent by IMD and NDMA may reach people in time and disseminate real-time warnings.
Thirdly, any kind of construction activity should only be allowed after thorough hazard mapping has been conducted. Historical data, ancient floodplain zoning, satellite imagery, and strict building codes should restrict construction in high-risk zones. In the urban set-up, stormwater drainage and slope stabilisation systems should be designed well and cleaned often.
Humans are now in a race against time to mitigate climate change. Global warming needs to be addressed on a priority by every country as glaciers melt faster and sea levels rise at alarming rates.
Containing every individual’s carbon footprint, integrating climate adaptation into disaster management and adoption of zero-carbon measures can help reduce the impact of extreme weather events. It is now up to us to calm nature’s fury before it engulfs all life on the planet.
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