Reconstruction, the biggest challenge

The arrival of monsoon in India is celebrated as a festival. But this year the early onset of monsoon rains in northern India and especially in the higher region of Himalayas has caused one of the worst tragedies. Heavy rains in a short span of two days led to unprecedented floods. Gathering force as it descended the glacial heights, the floods uprooted buildings like toys.  Pilgrims witnessed their kith and kin disappear in floodwaters.

What is the cause of such unprecedented floods that led to the calamity? It is reported that cloud bursts are the main cause behind this flood furry. However, cloudburst occurs when the hot air comes in contact with the cold air leading to heavy precipitation. This phenomenon is common in higher ranges of Himalayas. In real terms it is restricted to a small valley covering a range of 10 to 15 km. The impact of flood is also limited to one valley.

Compared to this common phenomenon of cloudburst, the one that happed during June 15 and 16, 2013 is entirely different in scale and magnitude. First of all there was 1,140 per cent excess rainfall in two days, in comparison to the normal rainfall in June. Secondly the impact was on vast area, from Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh to Uttarakhand and then to Nepal. The calamity was spread widely covering an area of more than a thousand kilometers.

This wide spread geographical coverage at the height of above 2,500 metres is something unique and it is erroneous to put it under the banner of cloudburst. Lately the metrological department has clarified that it is not a cloudburst. Definitely the impact of flood was felt from Himayas to the Gangetic Plains, including Delhi. The weather experts will need to study this new phenomenon and find a new term to define the tragedy.

Man-made disaster

The calamity has kicked off a controversy over the causes that led to this situation. Is it a man-made disaster or it is part of the process of global warming and climate change? While some claim that this kind of rains and floods is a common phenomenon in the Himalayas as it is a young mountain range, others point out that the ongoing developmental activities in the fragile mountain range is the main cause for the disaster.

Prof Jayanta Bandopadhaya, an expert on Himalayan ecology says, “This is a natural event that occurs in the Himalayas, but what happens once the precipitation reaches the ground has to be ascribed to the human interventions. The land use changes from forests to non-forests, change of river course, indiscriminate construction activities of road building and hydro dams have accelerated the impact of floods”.

The four shrines known as Char Dhams of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath is the lifeline of religious tourism that supports thousands of livelihoods of local people.

The devastation caused due to washing away of 200 bridges and roads on this route has severed physical, financial and psychological links of people. At the moment the focus is on evacuating stranded pilgrims, but the situation of those people who live in the remote hills regions is going to be the most difficult in coming days. Some of them need to walk kilometers to fetch the basic essentials to keep them alive. The reconstruction efforts will be gigantic requiring many years and calls for adoption of a new approach to the development in the Himalayas. 

Alarmed by the devastation caused due to construction of roads and hydro dams, and with the pressure form environmentalists, the ministry of environment and forests declared 100 km stretch along Gangotri to Uttarkashi as Ecologically Sensitive Zone (ESZ). This small step to evolve new approach to development was criticised by Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna. He requested the prime minister to repeal the declaration claiming that it will hinder the development activity.

The recent tragedy has clearly established the links between ill placed ‘developmental’ efforts that has had cascading impact on accelerating the flood furry. Sunderlal Bahuguna, of Chipko Movement in Himalays has always been advocating for a new approach to developing the hills.  He said “In the fragile hill region evolve a development policy that meets the needs of the local people and helps towards maintaining ecological balance.” He pressed to maintain the green cover to meet the food and fuel wood requirement of remote hill regions with emphasis on alternate energy sources like solar and small decentralized power grids.

Both Himachal and Uttarakhand have rejected this approach in totality and went ahead with full thrust with conventional development projects. This has not only failed miserably but has taken a heavy toll of human lives. Will the Himayan states learn from this tragedy to find a different path towards development that will address the needs of people while conserving the fragile ecology of the region?