On the edge: Monsoon fury exposes climate crisis in Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh, once known for its serene mountains and gentle monsoon showers, is today grappling with an unending cycle of destruction. For three consecutive years, the state has been battered by landslides, cloudbursts, and flash floods — claiming nearly 500 lives, with 220 deaths this year alone.

Between late June and mid-August, nature’s fury intensified: 160 persons perished, 100 major landslides reshaped landscapes and cloudbursts nearly doubled compared to last year. Flash floods too surged dramatically, with 23 incidents this monsoon against just nine a year ago.

Experts warn that Himachal is facing the compounded effects of climate change and human interference. The State Disaster Management Plan reveals a 1.6°C rise in average surface temperature over the last century — much higher than the global trend. With shifting rainfall patterns, extreme weather events like floods, avalanches, landslides, and forest fires have grown more frequent and destructive.

Environmentalists sound the alarm: while the plains saw only a 1°C rise, Himachal’s spike is “abnormal and alarming.” Rampant tourism and industrial traffic add to the stress, with 40,000 vehicles entering daily during peak season and thousands of trucks carrying cement clogging mountain roads.

“Places that once saw snowfall at 3,000 feet now see it only above 5,000–6,000 feet,” says RK Sood, highlighting the rapid melting of glaciers. The mix of glacial melt and torrential rain has turned streams into torrents, swelling rivers into killers.

CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has acknowledged the looming crisis, urging an urgent scientific study into the escalating disasters. “Cloudbursts are no longer rare; disasters are multiplying. This is the clearest signal of climate change,” he warned, promising to engage experts and seek Central Government’s support.