DEHRADUN: While the monsoon brought a much-needed respite from the annual menace of forest fires in Uttarakhand this summer, the subsequent heavy rains have unleashed a new wave of destruction, causing widespread damage to forest ecosystems and vital infrastructure across the mountainous regions.
The season saw a welcome reduction in forest blazes, as continuous rainfall helped keep the fire lines at bay. However, the intensity of the monsoon has led to swollen rivers and torrents, resulting in severe soil erosion that has washed away significant portions of the forests.
"The focus shifts abruptly from controlling fire to managing flood damage," noted a senior official in the Forest Department, speaking on condition of anonymity. "This year, the relentless rain has caused substantial riverbank erosion, severely impacting forest tracts."
The deluge has critically damaged essential forest connectivity. Forest motor roads, mule tracks, and pedestrian routes deep inside the forests have been heavily affected by landslides and washouts. Furthermore, infrastructure supporting forest operations, including check dams, Amrit Sarovar projects and vital irrigation pipelines, have suffered extensive damage.
In areas where reforestation efforts were underway, the impact has been particularly harsh. Plantation sites across Terai Central and Champawat forest divisions reported significant losses, with saplings, including valuable Rudraksha trees, being submerged or destroyed.
The districts of Uttarkashi, particularly the Dharali and Harshil reserve forest areas along the Yamuna valley, bore the brunt of the flash floods in August.
Yashwant Chauhan, Range Officer of the Gangotri range, confirmed the scale of the devastation. "The August disaster damaged approximately 100 to 120 hectares of reserve forest land in Dharali and Harshil," Chauhan told TNIE. "We estimate that between 1,500 to 1,800 large and small trees were either uprooted or damaged."
Chauhan added that this is only a preliminary assessment. The department is now commencing the arduous task of counting trees washed away by the water and those felled by heavy rain across all affected forest circles.
While winter snowfall usually mitigates landslide risks, officials remain cautious about future instability following this year’s extensive soil disturbance. The Forest Department is preparing a detailed report based on ground surveys to quantify the full ecological and infrastructural losses.