Flash floods were triggered by a cloudburst in Ladakh’s Kargil

A cloudburst triggered flash floods in Ladakh’s Kargil district on Thursday, causing damages to vehicles and agricultural fields.

Several houses were submerged and properties worth crores were damaged as a result of floods triggered by a cloudburst.

The recent cloudburst incidents in many villages in Kargil and its adjoining areas has exposed the region’s vulnerability to climate change and receding glaciers.

Though there are “very limited” studies on cloudbursts and flash floods in Ladakh,



experts believe the global warming and receding glaciers are major reasons for recurring, now almost annual, disasters in the region that always leave a trail of damaged houses, ravaged fields, and uprooted orchards.

“There is no doubt that Ladakh has become more prone to cloudbursts due to unusual climate change. It is turning hotter due to global warming. The snow cover of glaciers is receding. This has contributed to Ladakh’s vulnerability to flooding and cloudbursts,” said Sonam Lotus, director of the meteorological department, Srinagar.