Dharali in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district, the epicentre of Tuesday's flash floods, lies within the fragile Bhagirathi eco-sensitive zone, IE reported. Experts warned that unregulated activities, including floodplain construction, may have intensified the disaster. Spanning 4,157 sq km between Gangotri and Uttarkashi, the zone was notified in 2012 to safeguard watershed near Ganga's origin.