Joshimath crisis a ‘manufactured disaster’, activists pledge campaign

Left Leader and former parliamentarian Mohammed Salim on Saturday called the Joshimath crisis a "manufactured disaster" rather than an "act of god" during a press interaction by environmentalists to announce the continuation of their campaign to save nature.

"Today, it's Joshimath, tomorrow, it can be Calcutta (Kolkata), Sundarbans, any other village, any other city. What happened in Joshimath was not an act of god. It's a manufactured disaster," Salim, state CPI(M) secretary, said, as he shared the dais with activists, interacting with media at Kolkata Press Club.

Also Read: Responsibility comes to people not in position to handle it: Former Uttarakhand CM on Joshimath crisis

He added that for over a year, residents have been raising concerns, but the governments — at the state and the Centre — didn't extend help. When asked if the Left was to participate in the campaign, Salim said that the Left globally "fights to save the Earth," so it's interested in the issue.

Prahlad Roy Goenka, national secretary of Ganga Mission — an organisation campaigning for 'purification and non-obstruction' of the river said that Joshimath's subsidence is a turning point, and the bigger issue is protecting nature, including rivers.

"The disaster (in the making) is not limited to a region. This is a sequence. Not every place can be turned into a tourist spot… When dams break, there will be floods, and many will die," Goenka said. He added that the campaign surrounding the Joshimath issue is with the intent of generating awareness. The campaign includes writing e-mails and postcards. On February 25, activist leaders are scheduled to meet in New Delhi to prepare an action plan.

Goenka said that he is seeking support from different parties in politics. "I am requesting all — the Left, the BJP, the Congress, the Trinamool — for a campaign to save Ganga. The Left has said it will support," he said, adding that the campaign covers Haridwar, Lucknow, Patna, and Kolkata.