Over 30 civil society organizations and 40 independent experts from across the Himalayan belt have jointly petitioned the high-powered committee of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), urging immediate reforms in disaster governance and climate risk preparedness.
The joint representation—submitted under the People for Himalaya campaign—calls for a strategic, climate-resilient approach to development planning across the fragile Himalayan ecosystem. The petition specifically recommends that all current and proposed mega-infrastructure projects undergo independent risk assessments based on scientific and ecological parameters.
The appeal follows this year’s monsoon season, which has inflicted unprecedented losses across the Himalayan, northern, and northeastern regions, with over 600 fatalities. And also reported infrastructure damages exceeding ₹15,000 crore, according to preliminary state estimates. Catastrophic floods, landslides, glacial lake outbursts and cloud bursts have been reported across Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, the Northeast, and Darjeeling. It has disrupted connectivity in key corridors such as the Char Dham route, Himachal’s Kinnaur belt, and Sikkim’s Teesta basin. This shows the underlying growing systemic vulnerabilities.
Citing the increasing frequency of extreme rainfall—now estimated by IMD to have risen nearly 20% above the 30-year average for Himalayan states. The coalition urged NDMA to integrate climate scenario modelling, geospatial risk mapping, and community-led preparedness into national and state action plans.
These disasters have resulted in extensive loss of lives, destruction of homes, and collapse of infrastructure, while also laying bare the cumulative effects of unscientific development, environmental degradation, and decades of policy neglect in addressing mountain-specific vulnerabilities. The signatories argue that the scale and frequency of such events demand a decisive and coordinated response from both national and state authorities.
The People For Himalaya campaign has called on the NDMA to immediately strengthen post-disaster needs assessment and financial support to affected states. It emphasizes that post-disaster needs assessment (PDNA) studies already underway in states like Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh must be completed without delay to guide fair and evidence-based rehabilitation and reconstruction. In regions where such assessments have not yet begun, such as Darjeeling and other parts of northern Bengal, the submission urges the central government to constitute expert teams and launch detailed studies of the social, environmental, and livelihood impacts of disasters.
The statement calls for a substantial increase in allocations to the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to reflect the complex and escalating risks in the Himalayas and recommends the creation of a dedicated disaster mitigation and climate adaptation fund for mountain states, with mechanisms for transparency and public accountability.
A central concern raised by the submission is the need to address the role of large-scale infrastructure projects in heightening disaster vulnerability. It pointed out that regions with extensive construction of highways, hydropower projects, tunnels, and railways have suffered the worst impacts, as these projects disrupt riverbeds, destabilise slopes, and cause deforestation. The campaign demands that all ongoing and proposed mega projects undergo an independent and scientific review to assess their cumulative ecological and disaster risks.
It also calls for a halt to projects that increase exposure and vulnerability in fragile terrain, stricter regulation of tourism and commercial infrastructure, and the integration of climate change projections into all planning processes. The joint submission has been endorsed by organizations and individuals across India and abroad, including Climate Front (Jammu), Citizens for Green Doon (Uttarakhand), Social Development for Communities Foundation (Uttarakhand), Joshimath Bachao Sangarsh Samiti (Uttarakhand), Himdhara Collective (Himachal Pradesh), Himalaya Niti Abhiyan (Himachal Pradesh), The Shimla Collective (Himachal Pradesh), Council for Democratic Civic Engagement (Sikkim), Youth For Himalaya, Indigenous Perspectives (Imphal), Uttarakhand Lok Vahini (Uttarakhand), National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), and MAUSAM Network.
