A woman who had gone to pray for her son's long life in Badrinath...
A small girl who was enjoying her family trip to a hillstation in Nainital..
A man who had just taken a Rs. 20 lakh loan to buid his house on the hilltop...
An old man who had just retired and come for the char dham journey with his wife...
A young boy who just cleared IIT exam with an amazing score waiting to join his dream college...
Their wishes as if have vanished into thin air , now can't be fulfilled. They never expected a disaster to happen in God's abode. A true devotee of God can never be harmed because he lies in God's lap. Then why did this happen?
10,000 deaths have been counted and there are many more which are yet to be found. A wave that has taken all that came its way. If thought through, I feel it is all our fault. We take liberties with nature, she keeps tolerating till a point when she loses her strength. Thousands of guest houses have been constructed on the river banks leading to obstruction in the flow of the river. NGRBA(National Ganga River Basin Authority) had warned that 130 km stretch from Gomukh to Uttarkashi is highly eco-sensitive. But the Tourism Industry seems to have taken these signals for granted. The chief Minister of the state feels that the "Himalayan tsunami" was unprecedented. My question to him is that if the people circumvent the norms of flood plain zoning, why do we consider this disaster unprecedented? This had to happen someday or the other.
Further, the government in 1975 had passed a model bill for Flood Plain Zoning which specified the rules to be obeyed for preventing such a natural calamity. It was mentioned that the low lying areas must not be used for construction instead can be utilised for playgrounds and parks. But, unfortunately, only Manipur and Rajasthan had followed these rules by 1996. Uttarakhand joined the list this january only but I guess it was too late now. And no wonder so many innocent people are homeless, helpless and hopeless!
Reading and hearing the news left me pained but what gave me hope was the admirable efforts of the Indian armed forces. The mayhem could have been worse had it not been for our brave soldiers. The rescue operaion was very well organised and the area was divided into four regions: Rishikesh-Uttarkashi-Harsil-Gangotri, Rudraprayag-Kedarnath, Joshimath-Badrinath and Dharchula-Tawaghat.
Paratroopers were sent to rescue people from the remote regions in the flood affected areas. Dhruv choppers have saved the day by dropping food-clothing packages to those stranded. Evacuation operations were carried out at an unbelievably fast rate. The Army has deployed 11 choppers and 10 mountaineering teams for speedy evacuation. These soldiers have built helipads and bridges to help the deceased to find a safe way out. Our "soldats"(soldier in french) truly deserve respect and honour for their timely response. As has been rightly said , "Ïts a soldier who salutes the flag,who serves beneath the flag and whose coffin is draped by the flag!"
It's high time we all realise that nature's fury can't be undermined. Its her earnest call to mend our ways. Man must nurture nature naturally! Or else ,our future generations will have to face her wrath!
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