One year after Dharali disaster: Families still await closure

On 5 August 2025, a glacial debris flow devastated Dharali, a busy pilgrimage town on the route to Gangotri, burying homes, hotels and livelihoods within minutes. A year later, many people remain missing. Through eyewitness accounts, conversations with families and environmental experts, this ground report revisits one of Uttarakhand’s deadliest recent disasters to examine the human cost of unresolved loss, the challenges of rehabilitation and the growing risks posed by climate change and unplanned development in the Himalayas.