Dharali, India: A Hidden Cryospheric Tragedy
- Post by: Randy Muñoz
- June 16, 2025
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While the Swiss village of Blatten has received global scientific and media attention after the devastating glacier collapse in May 2024, a similarly tragic—yet lesser-known—event occurred on August 5 in the Indian Himalayas.
EClim member Simon Allen highlights the case of Dharali and Harsil, where more than 50 lives were likely lost. Unlike Blatten, no early warning systems or monitoring were in place to alert communities. Once the monsoon clouds cleared, initial satellite analysis revealed what triggered the disaster: not a spectacular glacial collapse or lake drainage, but rather the mobilization of glacial moraine and downstream channel erosion after seasonal snowmelt and intense rainfall—a dangerous combination becoming increasingly common due to glacier retreat and permafrost degradation.
🔍 As Simon writes, “What is extraordinary about this event is just how ordinary it all seems.”
This disaster underscores the urgent need for equity in early warning systems (EWS), especially for vulnerable high mountain communities where the cryosphere is changing rapidly and silently.
📎 Read the rapid technical assessment of the Dharali case here: https://lnkd.in/evk76KwY
Read the full post here.