Emergency Management and Economic Progress
Uttarakhand Tragedy – A Man-Made Disaster
Recent tragedy because of heavy rains and flash floods in Uttarakhand has resulted in heavy loss of life, property and damage which will take years to recover. Many villages and cities were affected because of this catastrophe. Why meteorological department did not warn residents of those areas earlier in advance? Why evacuation orders were not issued? Why proper disaster response team was not in place so that when such a disaster strikes the whole government machinery did not panic. No doubt the disaster was because of heavy rains and flash floods but the question is what is reason for such a heavy loss of property and life? Was it a manmade disaster or a natural calamity?
Well good morning to one and all present here. Reverent Father, Sisters, teachers and all my dear friends.
So the big question of today is - WAS THE Uttarakhand TRAGEDY A NATURE CAUSED DISASTER? ANSWER IS A BIG NO.
The Land of Gods has turned into a ghost town. The images of devastation in Uttarakhand due to flash floods and landslides have sent shivers down one`s spine. The north Indian state which used to boast of some of India’s mightiest rivers and tributaries is now crying aloud the stories of devastation, destruction and death. The scene of nature’s fury is so horrible that it is now being dubbed as a ‘Himalayan Tsunami’. The images of destroyed homes, crumbled buildings, and thousands of people trapped in the debris, stranded in the hills tell a horrid tale. The rage of overflowing rivers depicts how nature exacts revenge. Environmentalists have noted that the act of mindless construction of homes and hotels on the banks of the rivers, mushrooming hydel projects, construction of dams, cutting mountains in the Himalayan region are all the reasons behind the devastation of such mammoth proportions. The floods have exposed how vulnerable Indian disaster management system is.
More than a natural disaster, it was a manmade calamity clearly, in
Recent tragedy because of heavy rains and flash floods in Uttarakhand has resulted in heavy loss of life, property and damage which will take years to recover. Many villages and cities were affected because of this catastrophe. Why meteorological department did not warn residents of those areas earlier in advance? Why evacuation orders were not issued? Why proper disaster response team was not in place so that when such a disaster strikes the whole government machinery did not panic. No doubt the disaster was because of heavy rains and flash floods but the question is what is reason for such a heavy loss of property and life? Was it a manmade disaster or a natural calamity?
Well good morning to one and all present here. Reverent Father, Sisters, teachers and all my dear friends.
So the big question of today is - WAS THE Uttarakhand TRAGEDY A NATURE CAUSED DISASTER? ANSWER IS A BIG NO.
The Land of Gods has turned into a ghost town. The images of devastation in Uttarakhand due to flash floods and landslides have sent shivers down one`s spine. The north Indian state which used to boast of some of India’s mightiest rivers and tributaries is now crying aloud the stories of devastation, destruction and death. The scene of nature’s fury is so horrible that it is now being dubbed as a ‘Himalayan Tsunami’. The images of destroyed homes, crumbled buildings, and thousands of people trapped in the debris, stranded in the hills tell a horrid tale. The rage of overflowing rivers depicts how nature exacts revenge. Environmentalists have noted that the act of mindless construction of homes and hotels on the banks of the rivers, mushrooming hydel projects, construction of dams, cutting mountains in the Himalayan region are all the reasons behind the devastation of such mammoth proportions. The floods have exposed how vulnerable Indian disaster management system is.
More than a natural disaster, it was a manmade calamity clearly, in