On August 1, a massive cloudburst hit the Chatroo area of Kishtwar district, leaving a trail of destruction, with floodwaters carrying debris, uprooted trees and rocks hitting residential areas and a local market. Sudden cloudbursts led to a rapid influx of water, flooding residential areas and affecting several households. Dozens of residential houses, shops, schools, irrigation canals and agricultural fields have been washed away or submerged. Experts have attributed these devastating cloudbursts and other weather-related disasters to local factors in the Himalayan region and to the global phenomenon of climate change. The local factors include ecological degradation caused by hill cutting, deforestation, and heavy construction in fragile zones.