In the path of nature's fury
The devastating floods that ravaged Kerala State in the South has brought untold misery to its residents. Residents who are staying put in relief camps face an uncertain future with no word yet when they will return to their homes and that too savaged by floods and landslides. In this hour of crisis everyone needs to show a big heart and lend a helping hand to the hapless people. It would take months to years for affected residents to get on with their lives and the roof under which they lived and earned livelihood has been too washed away by torrential landslides. These landslides followed by heavy rains have become quite frequent across country with rains that Kerala received in August was highest in 100 odd years.
Ensnared by greed
Ensnared by the greed to raise dams, bring construction on forest land and passing of public land to private hands has led to erosion of ecological balance. These recurring floods across country not only pose questions about their intensity but as a matter of fact makes one wonder which other territory would fall into this flooding pattern in future. Floods are natural and should dissipate in no time and here alarming bells ringing shows the duration of floods and their likelihood to stay, perpetuated by anti-environment lobby
Western Ghats facing the fury
Western Ghats which comprise areas from Maharashtra to Kerala have seen too much of construction by laying of roads and unabashedly playing with nature's template. Repeated panels that have gone into study the Western Ghats are of the view that change of land ownership from public to private, acres of forest land prised open for construction and the newly built dams have undeniably brought this catastrophe. Time is running out and the solution lies in restoring forest land, bringing to a halt to construction and infrastructure projects and let the biodiversity hub retain its aura and beauty. To talk about bringing in climate resistant infrastructure is like promising a moon as it would involve billion of dollars which would be hard to raise at any stage with different vested groups acting as impediments and showcasing themselves as warriors.
Successive govts are at fault for leading to this sorry state of affairs where they looked the other way when construction and infrastructure were being raised at an alarming pace. The more you fiddle with environment template there are more chances that recurring floods and landslides will find a fertile platform here and there. Right from Assam, to Bihar to Chennai and Mumbai, the devastation is there for all to see.
Stick to Madhav Gadgil recommendations
Environmental degradation and biodiversity loss is all that we are witness to in the face of rising pressure on land and and man's unabated attempt to tinker with environment tenets, fiddling with flood plains and unquantified quarrying are all responsible for bringing hardships to human race. It is time Madhav Gadgil report on Western Ghats is implemented in toto with no scaling down of its provisions in the face of reservations from tourist lobby and private parties with large wallet. Turning Kerala State into a tourist hotspot and unmindful of the destruction it is causing to environment and people at large has been going for decades. This trend needs to be discouraged at the outset.
Those in relief camps, over a million people, efforts should be made to ensure there is no outbreak of disease and their little wants are met on a daily basis. The govt needs to provide loans at low rates for people to rebuild their homes/hamlets and efforts made to see that conducive atmosphere is not provided for recurring floods to occur. First and foremost priority should be to see the health apparatus is in plenty and not found wanting. Second those in relief camps should over a period of time able to reclaim their livelihood and get a roof on their head with active and not benign support from the government.
The devastating floods that ravaged Kerala State in the South has brought untold misery to its residents. Residents who are staying put in relief camps face an uncertain future with no word yet when they will return to their homes and that too savaged by floods and landslides. In this hour of crisis everyone needs to show a big heart and lend a helping hand to the hapless people. It would take months to years for affected residents to get on with their lives and the roof under which they lived and earned livelihood has been too washed away by torrential landslides. These landslides followed by heavy rains have become quite frequent across country with rains that Kerala received in August was highest in 100 odd years.
Ensnared by greed
Ensnared by the greed to raise dams, bring construction on forest land and passing of public land to private hands has led to erosion of ecological balance. These recurring floods across country not only pose questions about their intensity but as a matter of fact makes one wonder which other territory would fall into this flooding pattern in future. Floods are natural and should dissipate in no time and here alarming bells ringing shows the duration of floods and their likelihood to stay, perpetuated by anti-environment lobby
Western Ghats facing the fury
Western Ghats which comprise areas from Maharashtra to Kerala have seen too much of construction by laying of roads and unabashedly playing with nature's template. Repeated panels that have gone into study the Western Ghats are of the view that change of land ownership from public to private, acres of forest land prised open for construction and the newly built dams have undeniably brought this catastrophe. Time is running out and the solution lies in restoring forest land, bringing to a halt to construction and infrastructure projects and let the biodiversity hub retain its aura and beauty. To talk about bringing in climate resistant infrastructure is like promising a moon as it would involve billion of dollars which would be hard to raise at any stage with different vested groups acting as impediments and showcasing themselves as warriors.
Successive govts are at fault for leading to this sorry state of affairs where they looked the other way when construction and infrastructure were being raised at an alarming pace. The more you fiddle with environment template there are more chances that recurring floods and landslides will find a fertile platform here and there. Right from Assam, to Bihar to Chennai and Mumbai, the devastation is there for all to see.
Stick to Madhav Gadgil recommendations
Environmental degradation and biodiversity loss is all that we are witness to in the face of rising pressure on land and and man's unabated attempt to tinker with environment tenets, fiddling with flood plains and unquantified quarrying are all responsible for bringing hardships to human race. It is time Madhav Gadgil report on Western Ghats is implemented in toto with no scaling down of its provisions in the face of reservations from tourist lobby and private parties with large wallet. Turning Kerala State into a tourist hotspot and unmindful of the destruction it is causing to environment and people at large has been going for decades. This trend needs to be discouraged at the outset.
Those in relief camps, over a million people, efforts should be made to ensure there is no outbreak of disease and their little wants are met on a daily basis. The govt needs to provide loans at low rates for people to rebuild their homes/hamlets and efforts made to see that conducive atmosphere is not provided for recurring floods to occur. First and foremost priority should be to see the health apparatus is in plenty and not found wanting. Second those in relief camps should over a period of time able to reclaim their livelihood and get a roof on their head with active and not benign support from the government.
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