Once again Nature strikes and it's fury is evident in the massive disaster caused by the floods and landslides in Uttarakhand. It is severely heartbreaking to hear about the loss of so many lives . What is most devastating is to hear people relate their horrific stories about how they helplessly saw their closed ones being swept away by the strength of these floods . So many are still missing or waiting to be rescued. Some survivors struggled to survive in nearby forests till they were rescued only to be robbed and beaten by gangs of robbers who had crossed over from the border. It is sad to see how certain people can take undue advantage of those in misery. Fortunately these gangs have been caught now as our soldiers had been air dropped in these jungles to locate survivors.
In this crisis the Army and Air-Force are doing everything in their power to help and rescue people. Private organizations and local people are providing all the support and assistance to aid the rescued victims and their relatives...It is inspiring to see how common people are uniting to assist without any governmental support. In times of crisis people either come together to tackle and combat the challenges or they fall apart. But in this disaster, ordinary people have demonstrated immense sensitivity ,incredible courage and humanity in helping out those affected by these floods and landslides. News channels have showed how people are setting food camps for the rescued victims and their families who have gone to receive them.
This recent calamity brings back bitter memories of the floods in Ladakh.We may not be able to fight the inevitable and we may not be able to match the fury of the natural calamities. But time and again we are reminded that while we may not be able to contradict the decision of such calamities ,we can at least find ways to decrease the disastrous effects of such calamities. What is needed is more effective and organized disaster management by the government. It is also important to receive almost accurate weather predictions beforehand to warn people to some extent.
Pilgrimage sites and religious destinations which attract large number of people every year should be untouched by too much modernization in the form of illegal construction of many hotels along the river to attract tourists. Lately these religious places are attracting more tourists than pilgrims. The damage of such a calamity can be reduced if unplanned construction, river bed mining and cutting of trees are prohibited . There should be restrictions on the number of pilgrims visiting the religious site at one time in a day so that not many gather there at the same time as this may result in more loss of human lives when such calamities strike. Pilgrims should be distributed in groups and they should allow only a certain number of groups a day. As it is overcrowded temples often witness stampede. People should not be allowed to extend their stay for too many days after their visit to the temple or shrine.The idea is to visit the Temples to worship and not to spend an entire vacation there. Since these areas are not accessible easily, all the more necessary measures and precautions have to be taken to protect the safety of the people living there who have to face natural calamities time and again.
The weather forecasts have to be taken seriously too before planning trips. Rest is upto the will of God and Fate. But still we must take precautions. It costs nothing to take precautions. I feel that unlike other countries, some of us here do not give importance to weather forecasts. We actually don't follow it as regularly as we should.
When I was working in Japan, I was always advised to take the weather forecast seriously and consult it before going anywhere. My office used to warn me about typhoon much before so that I could stalk up my place with food and water beforehand as the typhoon restricted any movement and paralyzed life. The news channels there would give such weather warnings many hours before the typhoon would hit our area and keep updating us periodically. Also we were kept informed about the direction and course of the typhoon. Sometimes Tsunami alerts were sent out instantly and we were always informed by our local governments about the evacuation points.
It is said that the request by the meteorological department for a Doppler weather radar for Uttarakhand has been denied time and again by the government . Uttarakhand has witnessed floods very often and something has to be done to issue timely weather warnings in those areas.
In this darkest hour of crisis , the people of India stand united in helping each other without any strong governmental support. It is surprising that many demonstrated their indifference to this crisis by not providing any humanitarian aid or assistance in the beginning. The politicians and nations are gradually coming forward to provide some support now but it has to be said that their responses are delayed . It is the Army and Air-Force who reacted instantly to salvage so many lives. The resolute strength of the Army and Air-Force and their continuous efforts day and night to deal with the damage caused by these floods as well as courage to rescue so many can never be forgotten. Without their prompt action, thousands of lives could not have been saved.They have air-dropped food,medicines and drinks in unreachable area of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh till the time they are able to reach them to evacuate them. They have risked their lives for others as always and are determined to save each and every life.
In recent years the Armed Forces have shouldered most of the responsibility outside their job description in reaching out to the people in internal crisis than the government or Police Force. It is time that we assist them so that they could concentrate more on our external security. It is time that people and specially volunteers are given training in dealing with disasters with the supervision of the military. Many countries make military training compulsory for a few years. Perhaps that is what is needed in our country as well.
Our prayers are with the victims of this floods and their families. And our prayers and respect are also with those who are leaving no stones unturned to save so many lives day and night. The soldiers are carrying out evacuations by foot and their contribution to rescue so many lives will always be remembered in times to come. People are so grateful to our Army , Army Aviation and the Air Force. The ITBP and NDRF has done it's bit too and has contributed in saving many lives. Without the Army and Air Force rescue operations on such a wide scale would not have been possible. They have actually considered this disaster as a very severe natural disaster and have carried out rescue and evacuation operations accordingly to combat the great damage caused by this tragedy.
There are still so many stranded in inaccessible areas and we pray that God gives them the will and strength to survive till they are rescued. Our heartfelt condolences to the families of the people who have lost their lives in this tragedy and our deep respect and condolences to the families of the courageous men of our Forces who have sacrificed their lives in these risky rescue operations. May their souls rest in peace.
It is often said that this too shall pass but the sadness of this tragedy will always remain with us...
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