The floods ravaging Uttarkashi district have yet again exposed Uttarakhand's helplessness in improving disaster management and relief work even though monsoon wreaks havoc without fail each year.
According to official records, 233 villages are disaster-prone and could face Uttarkashi-like situation any moment. State disaster management minister Yashpal Arya admitted as much on Monday, while announcing that human settlements in the vicinity of rivers would not be allowed anymore.
Stranded at Chinyalisaur while on his way to Uttarkashi, about 180 km north of Dehradun, Arya said over phone, "We are expediting a proposal aimed at rehabilitating people of 233 villages in the state's landslide-prone areas. These villages have already been identified as being in the danger zone."
On banning riverside settlements, he said, "The decision was taken in the wake of the massive trail of disaster the flooded Assi Ganga river left behind after the cloudburst in Uttarkashi (on Friday night)."
The state government is aware of the dangers people living in the hills face each year, but many of its best-laid plans have come undone due to lack of funds. For instance, the government has not been able to relocate people of 85 villages even though reports suggest the work needs to be done immediately.
The relocation is being done for only one village, Narayan Bagar in Rudraprayag district. "We need R600 crore for relocating all the villagers, but have only R50 lakh in our kitty," Omprakash, principal secretary (disaster management), had told HT recently.
{{/usCountry}}The relocation is being done for only one village, Narayan Bagar in Rudraprayag district. "We need R600 crore for relocating all the villagers, but have only R50 lakh in our kitty," Omprakash, principal secretary (disaster management), had told HT recently.
{{/usCountry}}Amid such stumbling blocks, people continue to reel under nature's fury. During monsoon three years ago, 45 people were killed in Jhakla and Leh villages in Pithoragarh district.