I’ve been looking for updates on Uttarakhand in northern India, after the floods that claimed so many lives (11,000 missing, according to United Nations estimates, though that number may be revised).  The debate over urban growth and the pressures that religious tourism has put on the area continues — see this interview with a climate change expert arguing for afforestation and building codes in Himalayan states.  The need for disaster preparedness at major pilgrimage sites is another ongoing discussion.

The dangers from flooding have not passed: there is still the struggle to distribute aid to those affected as roads and other infrastructure have been washed out or damaged by landslides.  Heavy rains are causing flash floods, with injuries and fatalities.  And, on August 2, the Manikarnika Shiva temple on the banks of the Bhagirathi river was swept away by flood waters.  This happened during the