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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Disaster management is a disaster -Anil Joshi

Disaster management is a disaster -Anil Joshi

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published Published on Jun 20, 2013   modified Modified on Jun 20, 2013
-The Times of India


We have a PM-led National Disaster Management Board. But the latest CAG report says none of its plans seem to have worked since its inception. The question is not what the CAG report says and who leads the board's policies. To me, at least boards like these should have the experience of the community. Such boards are led by experts who have never experienced any disasters. That is one reason why they have not been very useful.

Further, no attention has been paid to Uttarakhand's Disaster Management Cell. It is neither well-equipped nor has the resources to combat any untoward situations.

The government wakes up to disasters when they strike - not before, not after. Disaster management is not the priority. In the ecologically sensitive Himalayan states, it should have been a major priority. In Uttarakhand, in spite of three major disasters, no lessons have been learnt.

The bottom line is we do not have a clear disaster-management policy. In fact, the state has also failed in post-disaster management. It is also about apathy as mainly rural areas suffer from such disasters. When the level of Yamuna rises in Delhi, Parliament is shaken. In contrast, if something happens in rural areas, there is no plan or policy.

I would primarily blame urbanization, industrialization, and unscrupulous development plans for such disasters. We know the Himalayas are a sensitive zone, full of water bodies, forests and glaciers. They require special attention. But the forest cover has been allowed to be depleted , both in quality and quantity, leaving the Himalayas more vulnerable to disasters. The building of a series of dams in Uttarakhand and other parts of the Himalayan region has hampered the ecological cycle.

It is because states like Uttarakhand do not have a clear integrated, inclusive developmental approach. Unfortunately, economy is considered more important than ecology. But in reality, the economy depends on the health of the ecology.

Now, the entire Himalayan region faces organized threat of industrialization. Intensive mining in the region is turning it even more fragile. When you remove sand from the river beds excessively, it hampers river flow systems. Similarly, other mining activities are wreaking havoc. They are leased out and the contractors often go beyond their limits. There is no mechanism to control it.

We have to ensure that the fragility is not disturbed and an approach is adopted that gives due importance to the ecology. In the long run, the Himalayas would not suffer alone - the entire country would suffer.

(Anil Joshi is the founder of Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation Organization)


The Times of India, 20 June, 2013, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Disaster-management-is-a-disaster/articleshow/20673457.cms


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