Increasing human activities are augmenting the risk of natural disasters in the ecologically sensitive region of Kedarnath, which was washed away by the floods triggered by a cloudburst in June, a latest study claims. A team of scientists from the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology has warned that a rise in human activities around the area like pilgrimage and tourism would increase the risk of such disasters occurring in the future. Kedarnath is encircled by channels of the Mandakini and Saraswati rivers, which meet near the town. The study, led by scientist DP Dobhal, well-known for his work on the Himalayan glaciers, says overcrowding of people and constructions have obstructed the natural flow of the Saraswati, which now flows just behind Kedarnath town. Similarly on downstream near Rambara and Gaurikund, houses were constructed on loose soil, making them prone to natural disasters and landslides, it said. Dobhal, who has been named in the Time magazine list of 'Heroes of Himalayas' in 2007, said heavy rains on the June 16 evening flooded the catchment area of the Saraswati and the Dudh Ganga resulting in the overflowing of channels which triggered erosion and subsequent silting up in the rivers. This resulted in huge volumes of water along with loose soil and debris from glacial moraines forming a slush which moved with unprecedented energy towards Kedarnath town and washed off its upper parts where Sankaracharya samadhi, the Jal Nigam guest house and the Bharat Seva Sangh Ashram are located. "While reconstruction efforts are going on in the region, the government must ensure that construction should take place away from the temple at a safe location. Strict environment guidelines should be followed and a database of pilgrims climbing towards the temple should be maintained to avoid such mis-happenings," Dobhal told PTI. The study says another factor was the collapse of Chorabari Lake because of the torrential rains on June 17, which contributed to the floods and washed away regions like Gaurikund, Sonprayag and Phata.