The area, known to be ecologically sensitive, experienced catastrophic flooding following a 2013 monsoon, leaving some 6,000 dead. As regional authorities and the Indian military continued search and rescue operations in the wake of Sunday’s incident, various media outlets reported that experts had previously warned of the region’s fragility and how damaging the many planned infrastructure projects could be, especially with the threat of climate change. Former water resources minister Uma Bharti recalled her disapproval of dams in the region, and environmental groups expressed their hope that the recent incident would send a message to the government that ignoring experts’ warnings regarding climate change and infrastructure projects is dangerous and unacceptable.