350 villages vulnerable to disaster: CM

There is an urgent need to rehabilitate about 350 villages vulnerable to disaster, revitalisation of water sources in the mountains and removal of debris collecting in the river is also needed. Chief Minister Harish Rawat raised these issues while meeting the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) member, lt Gen NC Marwah, (retd) in Dehradun on Tuesday. Stressing on the need for public participation in tackling natural disasters, Rawat said that priority should be accorded to capacity building through training of the locals, especially the women.

Talking to Marwah, Rawat said that special attention will have to be given to the landslide zone on the Joshimath-Badrinath road. The CM said, “Uttarakhand falls in a seismically active region considering which the State Government is preparing an action plan to facilitate pre fabricated structures for all of its primary and junior high schools. Additionally, there should be at least one community building with seismic safety features in every village. The NCC, NSS, Scouts and Guides, Yuvak Mangal Dal and Mahila Mangal Dal are also being linked to disaster management in the State,” he said.

Rawat informed that about 350 villages identified in the State are very sensitive from the disaster view point and that it is essential to rehabilitate these villages to secure locations. However, it is difficult for the State Government to do this with its limited resources. He said, “The nature of rivers in Uttarakhand has been changing for some time now. Consistent deposit of debris has made rivers shallow while change in direction of the rivers often results in floods in nearby areas causing damage to life, property and even forests along riverbanks. Uttarakhand has started experiencing situations as seen in Bihar every year due to flooding of the Kosi river. Facilitating proper dredging of riverbeds it the only solution to problem. Various types of approval are required to dredge the riverbeds to facilitate which the Central Government could help Uttarakhand. The State is losing about half per cent of its land each year due to soil erosion by water. It is also important to encourage agriculture in mountainous areas. Sowing crops in the farms will enable retention of the rain water in the ground which will not only help in conservation of natural water sources but also mitigate the risk of rivers flooding in the plains,” added the CM.

Marwah said that the initiatives taken for disaster management in Uttarakhand present an example for other states to follow. The creation of State Disaster Response Force and its effective use in Uttarakhand is also commendable. Appreciating the emergency operation centres being operated in the State, the NDMA member assured full support of the authority to the State Government. He also said that the need for providing a civil helicopter to Uttarakhand considering the State’s vulnerability to disaster will also be considered seriously.