A year after the Dharali disaster, the reconstructed road leading to Gangotri has been shifted a few metres away from the banks of the Bhagirathi river. The market, once bustling with tourists during the yatra season, now wears a lifeless look. Most shops and houses still remain buried under debris. Apart from a handful of shops that have reopened, there is little sign of life. People are trying to piece together their lives, but they continue to face challenges.

Dharali after the disaster of August 5, 2025. (Image courtesy Hridayesh Joshi)

The disaster occurred in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand on August 5 last year, after continuous rain on the almost vertical slopes caused a massive landslide in a village situated just about 20 kilometers from Gangotri. That day the Kheerganga, a tributary of the Bhagirathi, suddenly flooded and swept away a major part of Dharali – its market and homes. More than 50 people died and about 150 buildings were destroyed, including homes, hotels, and homestays. 

Newslaundry had extensively covered the disaster last year. Only one body was recovered in Dharali, and that too on the day of the disaster. 

“The relief workers were here only for a month. They had neither the will nor the equipment or expertise to search for those buried under the rubble. After they left, our dogs did more digging than they ever could,” Dharali resident Pradeep Panwar told me with a wry smile. 

Residents said compensation for house reconstruction is yet to reach everyone. District Magistrate Prashant Arya, however, said the process is ongoing. “It is a continuous process. We are releasing compensation as people submit documents proving ownership of their land. The total compensation of Rs 5 lakh is being paid in two installments.”

One year after the disaster, the question is bigger than financial compensation or Dharali. There have been several other disasters in the Himalayan region, from Uttarakhand to Himachal Pradesh to Sikkim to  Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland. These are not merely natural disasters, and their impact is not only economic loss but also mental health. Newslaundry had covered some of them, including the Joshimath land subsidence and the Himachal Pradesh floods. 

These calamities served as........

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