The politics of governance as seen during the recent Vidhan Sabha session and issues like opposition to location of some licensed liquor shops appear to be more common issues apart from the corruption, crimes and accidents being reported in the media nowadays. Various ‘old’ issues have been either forgotten or replaced by ‘new’ issues. However, there are some issues which can neither be forgotten nor be replaced. June 16-17 marked the fourth anniversary of the 2013 disaster which is one such issue which should neither be forgotten nor relegated to documents and occasional remembrance.
There are those who opine that after formation of Uttarakhand State in 2000, the June 2013 disaster is probably the most striking incident which has had far reaching effects on the state, its people, infrastructure, economy and environment. The disaster which killed thousands and seriously affected the lives of many thousands more, also elicited regular reports in the national media and occasional reports in the international media for some time.
Affecting infrastructure and tourism in Uttarakhand, the disaster was also a major issue for the Government to cite while seeking funds and assistance especially from the Central Government. It is said that about Rs 7,900 crore was provided by the Centre to the State following the disaster, out of which about Rs 2,000 crore has been spent by the State so far.
There are many who believe that necessary rehabilitation and reconstruction works have not been done efficiently by the state authorities since the 2013 disaster. It is not as if nothing was done. Helipads and some other infrastructural features were constructed in the Kedarnath area and in some other locations across the state. Attempts were also made to improve the disaster management mechanism at the state and district level.
On the other hand, the main focus of reconstruction effort was around Kedarnath while little has been done for more than 400 villages vulnerable to disaster and in need of relocation. Recently, while chairing a meet to review disaster management and pre-monsoon arrangements, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said that two such villages in each district should be identified immediately for relocation and rehabilitation of the villagers. Considering the seriousness of the 2013 disaster, questions are bound to be raised at the governmental mechanism considering that work has yet to start on relocation of the hundreds of villages vulnerable to disaster four years after what many view as the most devastating disaster since creation of Uttarakhand.
There are many who also opine that there is a deeper flaw in the attitude of the Central and State Governments, which have not yet acknowledged the character, importance and highly sensitive nature of environment in this Himalayan State.
They question whether plastering ambitious infrastructural projects like all-weather roads and Rishikesh-Karnprayag railway line across the ecologically sensitive and seismically active mountains is the right way to go when even existing checks and balances are in a questionable state. They cite the example of more than 10,000 green Deodar trees marked for the axe for widening the highway between Gangotri and Uttarkashi despite the environmental damage it will cause in the Bhagirathi valley and beyond. Environmentalists aver that there has been a push from the centre to complete work on ongoing hydro power projects and start work on new ones like the Pancheshwar project.
They consider this alarming, stating that violations and anomalies in execution of large hydro power projects and their environmental consequences will end up exacerbating and even fueling disaster scenarios in the future. It seems hard to imagine the government giving more importance to such concerns compared to infrastructural ‘development’. Recently, a union minister revealed that he had plans for developing Auli near Joshimath into an ‘international town’ like Davos in Switzerland. It is another thing that much of the funds spent for SAF winter games in 2010 at Auli now appear wasted with most of the equipment bought then lying unused since then.
Grandiose plans for Uttarakhand make one wonder whether the powers that be have taken the trouble to actually study and comprehend what Uttarakhand is and how its environmental, spiritual, historical and other aspects should be treated. Many doubt whether the works being planned or done in Uttarakhand are actually developments which the state and its people need. There might be selective amnesia regarding the 2013 disaster. Irrespective of that, the impact of the next major disaster will be affected by whether we opt for actual sustainable development or turn the state into a laboratory for replicating projects executed in other locations for conditions and requirements different than those in Uttarakhand.