June of year 2013 saw the beautiful state of Uttarakhand devastated by a natural disaster which was termed as country’s worst natural disaster since the 2004 Tsunami. Thousands of lives were lost and some people were never even found, they either got buried under or washed away. More than 5,700 people were presumed dead. This total included 934 local residents which means that majority of casualties in this tragedy were of tourists and pilgrims.
Uttarakhand is a state where the economy is mainly supported by either Agriculture or Tourism. A tragedy like this left people of rest of the country scared to visit Uttarakhand anymore which directly impacted the tourism business here. Hotels and resorts remained empty for a long time and some continue to be so. The number of tourists visiting the region went down drastically and even now, a year later, people still ask If Uttarakhand is safe to travel to.
This is definitely not the first time when people have fallen victim to heavy rains, cloud-bursts or floods in Uttarakhand. As a matter of fact, if you searched the web, you will find that Monsoon claims lives here each year. 77 people died in floods in July 2011 and there have been cloudbursts in Uttarkashi in 2012 as well but they mostly go un-noticed. People here lose their loved ones to heavy rains each year but no one gives it any more attention than reading a small article in newspaper the next day. Mountains in Uttarakhand have been known to be unstable and landslides are very common here. If it is not rain, then people die due to landslides. The only reason why 2013 floods receive such media attention is because of the number of casualties which left people thinking about whether they should or should not visit Uttarakhand. It made them wonder “Is Uttarakhand safe for tourists to travel to now?”
In September 2013, Uttarakhand government issued an official statement that 90% of the tourist places in are perfectly safe for tourists. Which were the remaining 10% and why were they unsafe was not included in the statement. This retroactive step was taken in order to ensure that tourism does not suffer in the state but it did not do much good because people in our country hardly believe a word that comes out of a politician’s mouth. This statement was later followed by an official waiver when fee charged by the state government for people to visit high-altitude areas was waived but that also did not do much good.
I am a frequent visitor to Uttarakhand myself and being from Delhi, It is actually a weekend getaway for me. Numerous times I have encountered the rains of Uttarakhand and gotten myself drenched. No matter what anyone says, one factor that no one can deny is that this area is most beautiful in the months of Monsoon when there is a lush green all around you. Varieties of flowers of different colors, clouds coming down in the valley, thick fog outside your hotel’s window, waterfalls and numerous small streams of water, Isn’t this that we all go to see at any hill-station so why stay away from Uttarakhand. True that people died here but have people also not died in plains? Have there not been natural or man-made disasters and tragedies in major cities?
The areas, unfortunately, that were worse hit by the floods were where millions of people travel each year for Chaar-dham yatra. Tourist destination in lower Himalayas like Rishikesh and Haridwar did not suffer much As a matter of fact, It is only the region near to Gangotri and Badrinath that was worse hit. Rest of the Uttarakhand does not get so much of rain as this region does. But now these places have been restored completely. Even Badrinath temple has also been re-opened for pilgrims. Landslides occur here and will continue to be in Monsoon but if its rain that scares you, you may want to delay your visit by a couple of months and let the monsoon pass. Roads have been completely stabilized and local people travel on them each day. Electricity has been restored way back and life has once again come back to normal.
Weather authorities were highly criticized last year for not been able to foresee the coming disaster and issue warnings in advance so now even they are keeping a very close watch to ensure that what happened in 2013 is not repeated. So rest assured that if there is tragedy coming, people now will know about it well in advance.
Bottom-line is that Uttarakhand is perfectly safe to travel to now. I have been to Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Mussorie and Dhanaulti myself in 2014 and there is nothing that should stop you from coming here and witness the beauty of Mighty Himalayas.
Please visit Uttarakhand and support the livelihood of people here. It is a perfect place for a family vacation. Tragedies have been a part of human history but they also teach us to careful in future. Several new safety measures like a ropeway at Gaurikund have been implemented by the authorities for the safety of tourists and pilgrims. As a safety measure from your own end, please avoid staying in hotels that are either too close to a river or recklessly built upon caving roadsides. OR steep slopes. There has a lot of construction in Uttarakhand lately in natural boundaries of rivers which added to the casualties in 20113 floods. Please do not stay at a campsite, hotel or guest house that is built on flood plains of a river. Roads here are a bit tricky so drive very carefully and if there is new of heavy rain, please postpone your visit to that particular area for a future time. Apart from this, there is nothing to worry about. Visit Uttarakhand and have fun.
