When Nature Takes Revenge......

     "Nature is generous, but, it can take revenge when exploited"

                We witnessed nature's fury less than a month ago, here in Uttarakhand. The floods that devastated the mountainous state has shown us the pitiful condition of disaster management. Close to 75,000 people were greatly affected by these floods, with over 3000 villages being cut off by terrestrial routes, beyond accessibility. The ethnic spot of Devprayag where the mighty rivers Alakananda and Bhagirathi meet to form the river which has been considered sacred since aeons, the Ganges.Among the massively hit areas were major towns like Rishikesh and Haridwar, as well as the religious centres of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath which together form the "Char Dham", a paramount pilgrimage, sought by many. The cloudburst at Kedar Dome, sent heavy streams of meltwater gushing down towards Kedarnath. The sanctum sanctorum remained intact, but the Kedarnath temple's courtyard was completely washed, as also the 'samadhi' of the great philosopher Adi Shankaracharya.
               The condition was more or less adverse in the Chamoli district, in which thousands of Sikh pilgrims were stuck for days together at the famous Hemkund Sahib gurudwara. Joshimath, a gateway to Himalayan expeditions and trekking trails to Badrinath, was devastated by the rushing waters resultant of the cloudbursts. The rivers overflowed due to the heavy downpour amounting to a 100+% surplus rain in North India. The conditions along areas of the Yamuna, as well as in the district like Mandi of Himachal Pradesh were much worsened, too. The floods were growing to be the worst natural disaster ever faced in the history of the recently formed state of Uttarakhand. Soon, the Armed Forces began to come into the act, rescuing tens of thousands of stranded pilgrims and locals. IAF Mi-17 copters and Mi-26 copters flew over the affected areas, scanning for the injured and dead victims. C-130 Hercules aircrafts were deployed to drop packages of food packets and other relief material onto the inaccessible areas. UAVs were sent for reconnaissance. The rescue efforts in full flow, as the 10,000+ soldiers deployed collectively from the BSF and ITBP raced against time to rescue. The relief work was in progress, as a possibilities of another rainstorm loomed. Amidst this hullabaloo, was the crash of three IAF copters near Gauri Kund which killed all on board. Fresh helipads were built by the army at certain spots to aid the relief. The nation heaved a sigh of relief, as only a few thousands remained in the snow-clad corners of the Himalayas. Trekking teams from abroad, where brought back safely. Evacuations got under way..
                These floods totally ravaged Uttarakhand, as huge tracts of land stood submerged, and heavy soil erosion was an immediate effect. This destruction has acted as an eye-opener for the disaster management authority which reportedly neglected warnings from the meteorological department. Fellow states have donated crores of Rupees to tackle the destruction. The iconic "Char Dham" yatra has been suspended for two years. Uttarakhand has survived, but only just. Now is the time for rehabilitation of the distressed, and reviving of the local life. Let's pray for Uttarakhand! Let's become one, and face this!