This Saturday will mark five years of the 2013 disaster which could be viewed as the most devastating calamity experienced here since the creation of Uttarakhand State. Thousands of people were confirmed dead and thousands more are presumed dead, their skeletal remains still believed to be buried under many tonnes of debris in the worst hit area. The authorities seem to have learnt some lessons with some steps also being taken to mitigate and manage disaster scenarios. Though the Government may not like it, skeptics, local communities and members of the scientific fraternity too suspect that varied construction and other activities since 2013 might actually be preparing the grounds for worse and different types of disastrous scenarios.
let us consider the various works undertaken by the Government since the disaster struck five years ago. As the Kedar valley bore the maximum brunt of the flood and ensuing devastation, the main focus of the successive State and Central Governments has been on reconstruction works aimed at reviving the pilgrimage to Kedarnath. The route has been repaired, renovations have been made in the temple compound and approach path to the shrine apart from construction of helipads and motley structures.
Though the Government claims to have done ‘impressive’ work in Kedarnath, geologists who had submitted their report and recommendations to the Government state that the authorities are ignoring the recommendation made to retain the natural surroundings and strictly regulate human activities in a place like Kedarnath as the Government maintains its focus on trying to maximise the number of people visiting this shrine and provisions made for them in the high Himalaya. During May, the previous Chief Minister Harish Rawat had alleged that ancient beliefs and traditions were being dishonoured in the construction works undertaken in Kedarnath while calling for a high level probe into the “indiscriminate constructions” there. Though one may sideline the political aspects of such allegations, it is not wise to ignore the factual aspects of the alleged risk of foundations of the temple area being weakened by the works carried out there.
Then there is the ‘ambitious’ all-weather road project being undertaken at a cost of about Rs12,000 crore supposedly to facilitate road link to the Char Dham all round the year in areas that are also strategically important. This is meant to overcome the hindrance posed by factors like rain and landslides which routinely block mountain roads many of which see a drop in traffic during the winters when the Char Dham shrines are closed to the public for six months. In this project too there has been strong criticism from activists, some local communities and even scientists who point out the devastating effects the felling of thousands of green trees, the cutting of geologically sensitive mountains and the intended rise in vehicular and human traffic could bring to this Himalayan region.
Of course, the Government and those in favour of such works point out that compensatory tree plantation will be undertaken and that some price has to be paid for such major development.
One must note here that the official intentions of the authorities are not bad- they too want the state and its people to prosper without causing irreversible damage to the environment. However, ‘good’ intentions alone are of little use if the actions do not match. For example, there is hardly anyone who wants to live in a dirty area but then again there are few who actually take direct action to ensure this beyond the walls of their homes. Similarly, those in the Government often talk about disaster mitigation and measures like purchase of satellite phones, drones and other actions taken to tackle disaster scenarios.
However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the authorities have been successful in addressing this serious issue in its entirety. The basic method of resolving any major issue like disaster entails comprehending the issue in its entirety and not in isolation. In the public domain there is little talk or action by the authorities on seismic risks though geologists have pointed out that in this Himalayan region only about five per cent of the latent tectonic pressure has been released in about 100 years with the rest probably awaiting release in the form of a disastrous earthquake. One does not intend to portray a doomsday scenario but it is prudent to be prepared for the worst especially in a sensitive region like the Himalaya. Far from such a mindset, the authorities are busy perpetuating follies and struggling to execute fantastic plans like getting many thousands of people to participate in the international day of yoga programme to be attended by prime minister Narendra Modi in Dehradun even though it is quite an impractical idea to get about 50,000 persons in one place for yoga in a city like Dehradun. The logistical nightmare and the effects of such a vast crowd assembling in Dehradun could also be considered disastrous even though the effects ranging from traffic congestion to garbage likely to be generated by so many people would last between some hours to a couple of days. Similarly, though the capital of neighbouring Himachal Pradesh- Shimla recently experienced acute drinking water problem, Uttarakhand Government has apparently remained apathetic to the threat of similar scenarios at various places here.
This might make one opine that the way disaster and the measures taken to tackle it are viewed is stereotypical and not necessarily effective while providing ample scope for the unscrupulous to commit irregularities.
The manner in which such an issue is viewed and tackled needs to be improved radically in order to really mitigate disaster and prevent such measures from fueling worse scenarios and ecological disaster.