Not too long ago, we had the Chamoli disaster that has been attributed to a glacier burst and/or avalanche or landslide. From time to time, we have seen unfortunate fallouts of the unsustainable exploitation of the hills in the name of so-called development. We hear about people rushing to the hills every chance they get; even when they absolutely shouldn’t, and even about destination weddings there. Now there are flash floods and we see terrifying images coming out of Himachal Pradesh. Is this another #ManmadeDisaster?
Many have posted videos such as these on social media in the past day or so. We see gushing, tumultuous, swollen streams of water. It is scary to think about what devastation this can cause.
The Bhagsunag region of Dharamshala and McLeodganj (which is the seat of the Dalai Lama and location of the Namgyal Monastery) has been badly hit by flash floods. The torrential water is seen to sweep away cars parked on roads here.
The sudden cloudburst has caused flashfloods which have had serious impact in the hilly regions.
People are posting scary images and videos of the situation of swollen rivers and streams in the area.
In this video the torrential stream can be seen destroying and taking down part of a dwelling close to the bank.
Buildings and vehicles have been swept away. There have been major landslides where people are feared to be trapped. Roads have also been blocked hampering rescue and relief operations.
Rescue teams have been pressed into service following the destruction caused by the sheer force of the water and the resultant landslide.
The fact that there heavy rains which also caused landslides may seem like uncontrollable forces of nature. However, there is a human element that is responsible. The indiscriminate construction of houses and hotels, pressure on water resources, cutting down of trees and overcrowding of small towns can and does have consequences. What used to be sleepy little hill stations with gracious homes and aesthetic buildings are now crowded with ugly new constructions with scant regard for the environment or ecology. It is not unreasonable to call this most recent flash flood in Himachal a #ManmadeDisaster as this tweet from a forest officer indicates.
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