The Himalayan landscape holds a dangerous secret. This article unravels how our own choices—not just climate change—are turning natural hazards into preventable catastrophes, and offers a blueprint for a safer future.
Uttarakhand’s Monsoon Disasters: The Real Killer Is Not the Rain
From the tragic floods at Dharali to the devastation in Tharali, this is not a story of natural fury alone and here we uncover the systemic human failures that amplified the 2025 monsoon’s destruction and reveal a blueprint for a safer, more resilient Uttarakhand.
India’s Deluge: From Ancient Harmony to a Modern Flood Crisis
Climate change and unplanned urbanisation are exacerbating flood impact and the situation calls for reviewing and redefining our flood management strategy.
Landslide Safe Uttarakhand
A blueprint for a landslide safe Uttarakhand that advocates integration of governance and true inter-agency coordination, with the involvement of local communities armed with their traditional knowledge, for proactive mitigation.
The Ghost of Gohna Tal and the Scientist’s New Compass
As authorities begin a risky, controlled breach of the lake on Yamuna, Banta channels the ghost of Gohna Tal – a 19th-century success story of monitoring and early warning to deliver a powerful lesson on why our modern approach to disaster management is dangerously flawed.
The Scientist’s New Compass
To stop being disaster detective and try becoming community doctor, was Banta’s advise to the brilliant young scientist and he was quick to grasp and launch a new mission.
The Two-Headed Monster of the Rising Lake
As the landslide-dammed lake begins to rise, Santa worries about his feet getting wet, until Banta tells him the chilling, century-old story of Gohna Tal, revealing the true, two-headed monster they are facing.
The Three Culprits and the Swiss Secret
Tour of their own village and Banta reveals the three real, man-made culprits that are turning their Himalayan paradise into a death trap.
The River That Held Its Breath
On way to Yamunotri, Santa and Banta witness a massive landslide near Syana Chatti. The real terror began when the mighty Yamuna river below them slowed to a silent, ominous trickle.
The Great Cloudburst Caper
Despite continuing intellectual debates on the causes of the Dharali flash flood, for a grieving victims the cause of the bullet is irrelevant.