A large cloudburst hit the Dharali area near Harsil in Uttarakhand‘s Uttarkashi on Tuesday, washing away a village and leaving several people believed missing.
In fact, a drastic catastrophe- cloud burst, hit Dharali very close to Harsil town on August 5, 2025, where there burst forth a flash flood that cascaded all homes, shops, and hotels on the banks of Kheer Ganga River. One horrible visual going around shows the village being devastated as torrents of water course through the village, while attempts are made by rescue teams to reach those stranded or missing. “Several people are feared missing; portions of the market have been completely washed away but many others are unaccounted for, as ongoing relief operations take place,” says the Uttarkashi District Magistrate.
Uttarakhand | #Uttarkashi District Magistrate Prashant Arya says a major cloud burst has occurred in Dharali near Harsil #CloudBurst pic.twitter.com/YyfBM5QP1R
— CNBC-TV18 (@CNBCTV18Live) August 5, 2025
SDRF IG Arun Mohan Joshi said rescue operations in Uttarkashi are underway with SDRF, NDRF, Army, and ITBP teams working together using specialised equipment for coordinated relief.
#WATCH | Dehradun, Uttarakhand: On the Uttarkashi cloudburst incident, SDRF IG, Arun Mohan Joshi says, “As soon as we got the information, our nearest SDRF team has reached the spot. Two other units are about to reach. Rescue work is being done in a coordinated manner. The nearby… pic.twitter.com/9otdpkTKf8
— ANI (@ANI) August 5, 2025
Rescue Efforts Mobilised as Connectivity is Severed
SDRF, NDRF and other army units got immediately deployed; there have been landslides and broken roads as well, which hampered many efforts. The unfortunate truth in this case is that even relief teams will now have to face considerable time delays in reaching such remote settlements as Gangotri Dham because they all lie cut off due to damaged roads.
Uttarakhand CM Dhami expressed grief over Uttarkashi cloudburst, saying relief efforts by SDRF, NDRF, and officials are ongoing, and he’s monitoring the situation closely.
Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami says, “The news of heavy damage caused by a cloudburst in the Dharali (Uttarkashi) region is extremely sad and distressing. SDRF, NDRF, district administration, and other related teams are engaged in relief and rescue operations on a war… pic.twitter.com/yw6UAt7f7y
— ANI (@ANI) August 5, 2025
Local officials suspect that casualties could rise, even at first glance, with subsequent access operations revealing even more hidden damage. Not only debris flows have been generated, but soil erosion from there has caused breaching of concrete structures across the areas which are being battered.
Cloudbursts and Climate Vulnerability in Himalayan Zones
It is a synoptic cloud, typical for being a sudden extreme rainfall event exceeding 10 cm over short time spans, common in Himalayan regions. It generates flash floods coupled with landslides amplified by the steep terrain and fragile geology of the state.
Last time Uttarkhand witnessed something terrible where flash floods and cloudbursts were responsible for taking away several lives in the past decade. Uttarkhand happens to be one of the most climate-vulnerable states in India, with these phenomenal events occurring in such a small-time frame. The Uttarkashi flood gives a real time understanding of an increasing incidence of extreme weather events and highlighted, urgent needs for disaster preparedness and resilient infrastructure planning.
