A slight thunderstorm and the electric current snaps off. A few hours of rain and there are flooded streets and lanes in the smart capital city of the state. Just a few days ago a few hours of windy rain and hail storms resulted in snapped high tension wires and fallen trees in some localities of the city. Every year the monsoon season brings along with it, landslides, floods, and general misery for the displaced.
We are told by the authorities that the weather is getting more erratic. The unpredictability of the rains, hailstorm, thunderstorms and their intensity and timing has become a nightmare for the people, especially farmers and those communities who depend on agriculture as their main livelihood. These are the big issues that are linked to what the world leaders call “climate change” and its impact. A whole range of global policies and treaties are lined up to deal with it through the United Nations, its wings and other international bodies and their networks.
But at the local level, it is the practical steps that matter. The question is, now that the monsoon season is nearly upon us and with the experience of the past, does the state have a well laid out plan to face the problems ahead. One need not go into an academic lecture on disaster mitigation, prevention, preparedness and response as propounded under the National or State Disaster Management Authorities. A more practical approach would be more useful. Such as, for example, why wait for the wind and the rain to blow over trees or electric poles and then act as we often seem to be doing. Why not start by taking a survey of such potential risks and then take decisions to support, repair and improve maintenance. Before thinking about how to handle the heavy rains that bring about flooding in the rivers, why not identify the garbage-clogged drains in the main thoroughfares of the capital city and urban centres and clear them to prevent water-logged roads and localities when the big rains arrive.
Identification of potential landslides along the highways and residential areas would prevent major disasters in the near future.
It is not clear why the authorities do not already assign magistrates for disasters as some states have been doing. Their names and phone numbers have been placed in the public domain to make them easily accessible whenever people need assistance to take preventive measures rather than wait for something to happen and then deal with it. This statement needs to do that immediately. If this facility is already there, it would be helpful to have the official list publicised once again.
The point is that, there are certain problems that can be tackled forthwith. It is these “small” problems that join together to create the “big” ones. So, this “preparedness” would go a long way in preventing further disasters and loss of lives and homes. The idea is to improve prevention tactics whenever and wherever possible rather than wait for disasters to happen and then act.
