J&K and Uttar Pradesh mishandling water sources

Both Srinagar and Gorakhpur have gone very wrong in managing water. Although they have different impulses, the brunt of the poor decisions is being borne by the most vulnerable people.

Both Srinagar and Gorakhpur have gone very wrong in managing water. Although they have different impulses, the brunt of the
poor decisions is being borne by the most vulnerable people.

HT Image

To save Dal Lake, nearly 11,000 poor families are being relocated from the peripheries of the lake to Rakh-e-Arth, a wetland. How do you dump so many people into a marsh? Simply by dumping solid materials to reclaim the surface before dumping people there. This is ironic-the Dal Lake conservation plan is saving one lake with both heritage and ecological value, while ruining another wetland which also plays a role in water flow and offers beautiful wilderness to a population that has lived under such circumstances for so long.

UP encephalitis saga

In Gorakhpur, over 500 children were reported dead of encephalitis in the last few months. Gorakhpur cannot claim Srinagar's context-there is enough awareness about the disease in UP. It should be more vigilant after its mega health scam.

As climate change results in new zones for vectors like mosquitoes to move to, all the states should be ready to tackle communicable diseases.