Uttarakhand floods: When mother Nature is hurt

The catastrophe that struck Uttarakhand is an instance of what occurs if nature is exploited beyond what it can endure. The monsoon arrived early and came down heavily. But the destruction was the outcome of the damage done by man.

Illegal constructions on the banks of the rivers and on mountain slopes have proliferated, particularly in the Uttarkashi-Kedarnath region that is within a fragile eco  zone. In spite of repeated warnings, real estate activity and tourism has been allowed without restraint.  Over the past few years, numerous dams and hydroelectric projects have been constructed that have also put additional pressure on the natural system.

From all accounts it seems that the Alaknanda and Mandakini carried whatever was in their path; houses and hotels, roads and bridges that were built over years, were washed away within minutes. This is a grim lesson from which we must learn to curb the activities that interfere with the environment.

Also, the less-than-satisfactory role of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) raises serious questions about its relevance. Set up to serve as the nodal agency in times of emergency, it seems that it has turned into an office for out-of-work politicos and retired babus. How seriously it took its job is evident from the fact that the national executive committee didn’t meet even once between May 2008 and September 2012.

Driver sensed gravity of what was coming
The Himalayan tragedy has shocked us all, but already a debate is heating up on  whether the disaster was the result of  negligence. Of course, the cloudburst was not man-made. But after what I saw when I visited Uttarakhand on the Char Dham Yatra, in the fourth week of May, makes me believe that irregularities have contributed to aggravating the situation. When news about the disaster first flashed on the TV screen, I immediately phoned our driver to inquire about his well-being. He told me that he had been in the area with tourists on the Char Dham Yatra and had returned to Haridwar in the evening before the fateful day.

He said he had realised that the weather conditions were set to worsen and that somehow he managed to convince the tourists he was taking around, to cut short their yatra and return immediately. If a simple driver could sense the gravity of the situation and make a sensible decision, why did the government not act in time to prevent tourists from going on? Timely action could have saved hundreds of lives and avoided the  agony of thousands of people who got stranded. If nothing else, this single lapse turns it into a ‘government-made’ tragedy.
– Prashant Inamdar, Pune

Armed forces taken for granted
Seeing the courage and determination of the men in uniform – whether it is the ITBP, Army, Air Force or Navy – I have run out of words of appreciation and wonderment. They do a thankless job, always. Thankless, because the acknowledgement lasts only till either the last bullet is fired, or as in this case, till the last survivor is rescued. After that, all is forgotten, whether it is their problems, their grievances or their welfare. Our political leaders who should be taking cognisance of this, get back to slamming and blaming each other and looking for ill-gotten wealth. I wonder when they will learn. I hope it is not when it is too late.
– Col AM Limaye, Pune

Vijay Bahuguna’s team has done well
Instead of saluting the personnel of the NDRF, the ITBP and the armed forces, and thousands of selfless volunteers who are doing a marvellous job in rescuing thousands of people stranded in the inaccessible regions of Uttarakhand, our politicians are engaged in a shameless blame game over who is responsible for letting the destruction happen. I don’t think any other state would have done any better in such trying circumstances, than what the Uttarakhand administration led by chief minister Vijay Bahuguna is doing. There are bound to be some drawbacks, failures or faults in such a mammoth operation, but that must be ignored, at least for now.
– KP Rajan, Mumbai