2013 Floods, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, North India

The Army, ITBP, BSF, NDRF, Public Works department and local administration worked together for rescue operations. Several thousand soldiers were deployed for the rescue missions. The national highway and other important roads were closed to vehicles to avoid further traffic jams. Helicopters were used to rescue people, but due to the hilly terrain, heavy fog and rainfall, maneuvering them was a challenge. More than 10,000 soldiers and several aircraft of the Indian Air Force were helping in rescue efforts.
Reasons for catastrophe
Contrary to the common belief that the catastrophe was caused primarily by natural disaster, it has been found that government policies held the greatest responsibility. In recent times such incidents have been occurring at an alarming rate. The negligence of government towards rapid deforestation and inaction towards wrong ways of construction work, hydro power projects, mining projects are main reasons behind frequent floods and landslides. The blast carried out in anti-environmental ways and government's blind eye towards them made significant natural alterations in nature. The hydel projects have been undertaken without assessing their impact on environment. Asiganga hydro-power project played a key role in the Uttarkashi disaster in 2011-12. At the project site of Asiganga, blasts are being carried our regularly to make the dam which results in debris falling into the river. The debris raises the water level in the river which leads to flash floods when it rains heavily. A large number of trees are also cut for these projects, causing soil erosion and leading to massive landslides. More than 220 power and mining projects are running in 14 river valleys in Uttarakhand. Several rivers are being diverted through tunnels for these projects leading to major disasters in the state. .