Recent Indian disasters

Story hook

It is 17 June 2013, 7:30 PM IST. At Kedarnath, Uttarakhand (3,583 m elevation), the Chorabari Lake — a moraine-dammed glacial lake at the base of the Chorabari glacier — breaches after 325 mm of rain in 24 hours (5x the seasonal normal). A wall of water, boulders, and silt thunders down the Mandakini valley. By morning, the Kedarnath shrine survives — its 8th-century stone walls intact — but the bazaar town, ashrams, and 9,000+ pilgrims and locals caught mid-yatra do not. Final toll: ~6,000 dead/missing. 1,10,000 evacuated in the largest peacetime air operation by IAF. Loss: ~₹12,000 crore.

Five years later, 8 August 2018. Kerala is into its second straight week of unprecedented rainfall. Cumulative deficit-turned-surplus of 42%. 35 of 39 reservoirs are at full capacity. Decisions begin: open Idukki, Mullaperiyar, Cheruthoni dams simultaneously. 433 dead. ₹31,000 crore damage. 14 districts inundated. 1.4 million displaced. Then comes the Kerala model of recovery — Kudumbashree, fishermen as "Kerala's army", remittances from Gulf, panchayat-led rebuilding.

Two years later, March 2020. COVID-19 declared a "notified disaster" under DM Act 2005 for the first time in history. 24 March 2020: PM announces 21-day nationwide lockdown with 4 hours' notice. 125 crore people stay home. The migrant exodus of ~10 crore workers becomes one of the largest peacetime internal migrations.

Then Joshimath, Jan 2023 — 863 buildings cracked, slow-motion subsidence. Sikkim, Oct 2023 — South Lhonak GLOF, 77 dead, Teesta-III destroyed. Each case study has its own lessons. This unit unpacks five of the most-tested in UPSC.

Why this matters for UPSC

Mains examiners love case studies. 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2024 GS-III all carried at least one disaster case-study question. Joshimath + Sikkim are the new must-knows. Knowing dates, casualties, causes, response, lessons gives candidates concrete answer-content that examiners reward. Prelims also tests case-study facts (dam names, casualty figures, agencies involved).