What I really missed
in those heart wrenching media reports on the disaster that struck Uttarakhand
in June this year, caused by flash floods and human negligence, was a single,
sane voice that could have yelled: "And all those things were happening
under the garb of religion and God, and perhaps politics". Cremating the
corpses to avoid epidemic became the concern of the majority after a few days and
I, being a minority, am still thinking what all led to this disaster.
When I see the
economy of Uttarakhand, I find that so many businesses flourished around God
and love and fear of God—tourism, hotel industry to name a few. Even the thali
or the prasad presented before God is part of that business. The
priests, the pandas and the guides who take you to the house of the Omnipotent, are all 'Godly' creatures serving the economy. Being a ‘money order’ economy,
Uttarakhand could not create enough opportunities to absorb its workforce. Influx
of tourists is a good sign as long as it oiled the local economy.
And then was
unleashed before everyone, in dry, printed words filled with caution and rationality,
the warnings made by the CAG report (Report No. 5 of 2013) on India's disaster (un)preparedness.
Although the report, released in April, 2013, said little about God, it
presented us with hard facts on what all was happening in the name of
development. The state of Uttarakhand did not have a disaster management plan
prepared. The State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) was stuck in the
quagmire of inaction. It never met once since it was created. The 2009 CAG
audit report of hydropower projects in Uttarakhand indicated that environmental
protection was the last thing that came to the minds of our planners and
engineers. The fragile ecology of Uttarakhand got more vulnerable due to
excessive construction of hydropower dams, deforestation and of course, development.
Ramchandra Guha in
his well intentioned piece titled "When expedience trumps
expertise" (published in The Hindu, dated 11 July, 2013) informs that
the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) was devoid of experts and
scientists. Most of its members were ex-bureaucrats. Guha has tried to bell the
cat but can the government wake up in the aftermath of this tragedy? So far enough
of crocodile tears have been shed without walking the talk.
Raising concerns
about environment and ecology is a serious no-no amidst growth-oriented
bureaucrats. What makes me bite my nails is that early warnings of heavy rains
and landslides made by the Meteorological department fell on deaf ears of the
state's administration. After I came to know later that somebody was toying
with the lives of victims, my faith on governance capabilities of our esteemed
bureaucracy has dwindled down a lot. After all, who is going to jump from the
mountain cliff if s/he is informed of the consequences? In the age of
information and communication, the state's bureaucracy could not take adequate steps to rein
in the people from getting near the well of death.
People who mix religion
with politics went to Uttarakhand to shower their sympathies for the victims.
They tried to garner support as a part of strengthening their base. That added
spice to the news that was daily being broadcasted by the media. Every time there is a
bomb blast that kills pilgrims and devastate innocent victims psychologically,
the political class takes advantage by reaching the affected site and consoling
the victims. They never even bother to know how their VIP presence creates trouble for the probing authorities. My question to them is: Couldn't you have taken prior steps? I also question myself: Are we guys so dumb that we elect such
people who could get us killed anytime, anywhere?
References:
When expedience
trumps expertise-Ramachandra Guha, The Hindu, 11 July, 2013, http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/when-expedience-trumps-expertise/article4902463.ece?homepage=true
Dams and disasters in
the Himalayas -Anirudh Burman, Live Mint, 9 July, 2013, http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/tVqPyY4BOllrOMAWDqbRZN/Dams-and-disasters-in-Himalayas.html
CAG had warned last
year about Uttarakhand crisis in making-Himanshu Upadhyaya, Governance Now, 27
June, 2013, http://www.governancenow.com/news/regular-story/cag-had-warned-last-year-about-uttarakhand-crisis-making
Watershed moment
-Himanshu Upadhyaya, Timescrest.com, 29 June, 2013, http://www.timescrest.com/coverstory/watershed-moment-10601
Uttarakhand disaster
plan doesn't exist, CAG warned in April -Subodh Varma, The Times of India, 21
June, 2013, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Uttarakhand-disaster-plan-doesnt-exist-CAG-warned-in-April/articleshow/20690268.cms
CAG had warned three
years ago about damage to hills -Pradeep Thakur, The Times of India, 20 June,
2013, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/CAG-had-warned-three-years-ago-about-damage-to-hills/articleshow/20674521.cms
Blame game continues
over Uttarakhand forecast, The Hindu, 30 June, 2013, http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/blame-game-continues-over-uttarakhand-forecast/article4866103.ece?homepage=true
Report no.-5 of
2013-Union Government (Ministry of Home Affairs) - Report of the Comptroller
and Auditor General of India on performance Audit of Disaster Preparedness in
India,
Performance Audit
Report of Hydropower Development through Private Sector Participation,
Uttarakhand for the Year 2008-2009,
Image Courtesy: Wikimedia.org, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2b/Kumaon_Garhwal.jpg