A Necessary Pause in the Himalayas

Finally, the Union government has awakened to the gravity of the situation and decided not to sanction any new hydropower projects in the Himalayan region. This decision was recently communicated to the Supreme Court through an affidavit, citing the increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters in the area. There is little doubt that this is a welcome and long-overdue step.

The relentless exploitation of the ecologically fragile Himalayan ecosystem has already inflicted enormous human and economic costs. From the Uttarkashi earthquake of 1991 to the Dharali avalanche of 2025, a series of disasters has claimed nearly 20,000 lives and caused property losses estimated at around INR 1.25 lakh crore. Moreover, natural calamities such as earthquakes, flash floods, landslides and glacial events do not affect only the Himalayan states. Their repercussions extend far beyond the mountains, impacting the vast Indo-Gangetic Plain—one of the world's most fertile regions and home to more than a billion people. Any major disturbance in the Himalayan ecosystem inevitably affects river systems, agriculture and livelihoods across northern and eastern India.

Recognising the seriousness of the threat, environmentalists, scientists and concerned citizens have repeatedly urged governments over the years to halt the destruction of this highly sensitive ecological zone. Yet, for reasons best known to policymakers, no comprehensive restrictions were imposed on large-scale construction activities in the region. Instead, concerns were routinely brushed aside in the name of development and revenue generation. However, warning signs had been evident for decades. As far back as 2014, an expert committee recommended a ban on dam construction in para-glacial zones because of their extreme ecological vulnerability. Had this advice been implemented in letter and spirit, tragedies such as the Tapovan-Vishnugad disaster—which claimed more than 200 lives and caused extensive property damage—might have been avoided.

It is therefore surprising that, despite overwhelming evidence of the risks involved, certain groups have already begun campaigning against the government's decision. Their primary argument is that Uttarakhand may have to forgo the development of nearly 2,134 MW of hydropower potential and the associated economic benefits. While these concerns may appear valid from a short-term economic perspective, they fail to account for the far greater costs of environmental degradation. The self-styled advocates of development seem to overlook the fact that financial losses can be compensated through additional budgetary support and targeted development packages for affected states. Environmental destruction, however, is often irreversible. Instead of pressuring the government to reverse its decision, stakeholders should demand greater financial assistance for Himalayan states to pursue sustainable development, as the region is inherently vulnerable to landslides, flash floods, glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) and other geological hazards.