Nepal Floods-A Wake Up Call for India

Khatmandu: The unprecedented and catastrophic floods along the Nepal-China border have raised several questions about the dangers posed to the environment and the disasters that can subsequently occur. The August 26 floods in the Bhote Koshi Valley were so sudden and devastating that more than 1,300 people are reported to have lost their lives, while thousands are said to be missing.

The massive flooding was triggered by a glacier breaking loose, sending a wall of ice, rock and water downstream and leaving behind a massive trail of destruction. The disaster has exposed the vulnerability of the Himalayan region to extreme weather events and naturally raises questions about the risks involved in tampering with the green cover in the name of infrastructure development and altering the fragile Himalayan landscape.

The tragedy in Nepal calls for urgent steps towards the timely sharing of hydrological information, greater transparency and the development of effective early-warning mechanisms. This requires greater coordination and regional cooperation to manage the fragile Himalayan ecosystem. It is time to question the Chinese policy of “build fast and let silence do the rest of the work.” Silence could be highly dangerous, and that is the lesson the floods in Nepal have taught us.

It is not just Nepal that is under threat. India too could face major floods similar to those witnessed in Nepal if there is no proper sharing of information and close monitoring of the gigantic hydropower project China is building on the Brahmaputra, known as the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet, near Arunachal Pradesh. The project is being built near the Great Bend. Though India has said that it is closely monitoring the project, it needs to use its diplomatic channels to ensure that China does not remain silent and shares all necessary information so that the interests of people living downstream are not harmed. It is a known fact that a sudden release of water, an emergency release or a dam failure could have serious downstream consequences.

Another concern for India is that China controls the upstream region. During a drought or a period of low flow, this control could potentially become politically and economically significant, including through possible changes in the quantity of water and sediment reaching India. However, China denies that its projects would adversely affect downstream countries.

China's existing Brahmaputra projects have largely been described as run-of-the-river projects, which have less capacity to store huge quantities of water than conventional storage dams. However, India cannot afford to turn a blind eye to any possible threat and needs to revisit the entire project from a safety perspective, particularly in the backdrop of the Bhote Koshi floods.

It may be recalled that China wants to develop a world-class clean-energy frontier through hydropower dams on the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet, an autonomous region of China. India's Takshashila Institution has tracked several gigawatts of new renewable capacity added since 2013, with sharp increases of 700 megawatts in 2023, 860 MW in 2024 and an estimated 2,600 MW in 2025.

A Washington-based CSIS study has described the resulting pattern as a “gray-zone infrastructure strategy” involving dams, roads, railways and digital systems that could build coercive leverage over India and Nepal without a single shot being fired. The energy grid feeds a network of electrified border villages, microgrids and garrisons that China has expanded since 2017. These settlements have helped China establish a permanent military footprint opposite Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and the Ladakh sector.

The advantage China would have is that electricity at high altitudes can sustain communication equipment such as radar systems, drones and military barracks. If a disaster strikes, information about what happens in Tibet could be heavily restricted, leaving little independent visual evidence or detailed information about destruction or damage on the Tibetan side.

Though China says it provided information about the glacier break, Nepal did not receive an effective early warning. Why this happened is the biggest question that needs to be analysed. It is possible that Nepal does not have adequate early-warning tools. Following the massive damage, Nepal and China have agreed to share real-time data.

Put together, the pattern is difficult to miss. Energy infrastructure marketed as green development anchors a military presence along a disputed border. That same infrastructure, together with the political system built to protect it, can produce a default of secrecy whenever something goes wrong on the Tibetan side. The region where all of this is happening is precisely the region least able to absorb rapid and opaque construction without ecological costs.

The floods in Nepal should be an eye-opener for India. New Delhi should ensure timely data sharing and strengthen its own monitoring mechanisms, because in a Himalayan disaster, any delay could matter enormously.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gowriswari V

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A Journey of Three Decades Time passes faster than we realise. What feels like a journey that began only yesterday has today grown into more than three decades of a meaningful and fulfilling life devoted to education, journalism, and the empowerment of young minds. My professional journey began with journalism training in New Delhi in 1979. I went on to work as an independent journalist, drawing on my fluency in both English and Telugu. Over the years, I have edited and worked on Telugu articles in both languages, an experience that strengthened my command of language and sharpened my understanding of society, people, and contemporary issues. Yet, my principal profession and enduring passion have always been teaching. My decision to become a teacher was not merely a career choice—it was a calling. Teaching offered me the rare privilege of inspiring young minds, guiding them through their formative years, and making a lasting difference in their lives. I found immense satisfaction in simplifying complex concepts, nurturing curiosity, encouraging independent thought, and building confidence among students. Every moment in the classroom—every question, every moment of discovery, and every spark of understanding—reminded me why I had chosen this path: to empower young people through knowledge, values, and essential life skills. My teaching career began at the grassroots level as a Montessori teacher and gradually progressed to the position of Vice Principal. I had the opportunity to work in reputed educational institutions, including Dilsukhnagar Public School in Hyderabad, where I shouldered both teaching and administrative responsibilities. Although I have always considered myself, at heart, a teacher, my administrative experience enabled me to understand and contribute to the education system from a much broader perspective. For my students, I have always tried to be an approachable and dependable presence—someone they could turn to not only for academic support, but also for guidance and emotional encouragement. At the same time, I developed a reputation as a firm disciplinarian who believed that integrity, fairness, responsibility, and discipline were fundamental to education. I was also consistently appreciated for maintaining clear communication with parents and staff and for ensuring that examinations and other academic processes were conducted with transparency, fairness, and efficiency. As my career progressed, however, I began to feel that academic education alone was not enough. This realization led me to work more closely with students following the SSC and CBSE curricula, while consciously bringing life-skills education into my teaching. I came to understand that education becomes truly meaningful when it prepares children not merely to pass examinations, but to face life. Teaching emotional resilience, self-reliance, social awareness, communication, decision-making, and other practical life skills often had a deeper and more lasting impact than academic achievement alone. I saw how these skills could help students navigate challenges with greater confidence, maturity, and responsibility. My academic background provided a strong foundation for this approach. My degree in Psychology from the University of Madras helped me develop a deeper understanding of young people's minds, their emotional needs, and the influence of their family and social environments. My M.A. in Telugu with First Class from Osmania University.

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