Lines between natural and man-made disasters blurred: Uttarakhand Disaster Management Secretary

He was speaking before a panel of experts during the National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction Conference in Delhi 

A senior Uttarakhand government official said on March 11 that after the Mishra Committee report in 1976, “major investigation, master plan or mitigation measures” were missing in Joshimath, the Himalayan town affected by land subsidence since January this year. The crisis has left hundreds of residents displaced from their homes.  

Ranjit Kumar Sinha, Secretary, Disaster Management, Uttarakhand, said roads were built and widened without any consideration for water channels, while huge colonies and Army bases were allowed to come up in the region. He said the lines between man-made and natural disasters had blurred and before thinking about development, the dynamics of mountains and hills should be considered. 

Mr. Sinha was speaking before a panel of experts on the topic ‘Disaster Mitigation and Resilience’ on the second day of the National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction Conference (NPDRR) in Delhi. 

The Mahesh Chandra Mishra committee in 1976 had said that Joshimath was built on the debris of ancient landslides and prohibited heavy construction work. It recommended proper drainage, reforestation, and reinforcements near river banks to prevent erosion.

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Mr. Sinha said hills and mountains are “living entities” which have their own dynamics and are bound by laws of physics, chemistry and biology. He stated that earlier, people built small eco-friendly houses and they never touched slopes or disturbed water channels or vegetation but what is being witnessed today is “luxurious interference instead of peaceful coexistence.” 

“What happened in Joshimath? Land subsidence, first reported by the Mishra committee report in 1976. What have we done after that? Any major investigation, master plan or mitigation measure? We were missing many points. We have built and widened roads without any consideration for slope or water channels, we have allowed heavy vehicles to ply, allowed people to construct multi-storeyed houses and huge colonies, allowed Army and ITBP [Indo Tibetan Border Police] to construct big base. These are necessary but we should have done something for Joshimath as a whole. There was no investigation but now the investigation is being done,” Mr. Sinha said.