FLOODS IN BIHAR

WE NEVER LEARN !!!!!!!!!!!!

In spite of repeatedly being shaken by the fury of nature,we never seem to learn!
India has faced several natural calamities,in this decade,Tsunami,Bhuj earthquake,Mumbai Monsoons to name a few and now the deadly floods of Bihar

One very well understands that it is humanly impossible to change the course of the nature,but one totally fails to understand,why can cannot preumpt such calamities and take adequate preventive measures,or provide sufficient and timely relief when the eventuality does occur.

Even after the nerve raking Tandav of monsoon that shook the financial capital of the country,in 2005,and the cores of rupees that were invested to improve the roads and sewage of the city,Mumbai city was paralyzed for short durations every consecutive year,even after mildly excessive rains.

Even after facing such major loses in every calamity,we have failed to have a proper and strong Disaster Management Plan to face the wrath of nature.These bodies or organizations either exist only on paper,or have wasted time and money,only on unrealistic planning.There are four major obstacles in fighting these calamities,The lack of any prediction to the timing or severity of a natural calamity ,well in advance,the ping ponging of the responsibility between the center and the state,the incoordination between the relief providing agencies and finally the corruption in siphoning the funds of relief and compensation ,preventing them from reaching in totality and often even in part,to the effected population on time.

If the government does not wake up,even now,and take significant preumptive and preventive measures,along with adequate relief and rescue operations,we shall continue to have immense losses,not only of land,property and resources but of valuable lives,year after year,as with the changing ecology ,we are getting more and more prone to natural disasters.

What the government needs to do,is to have a realistic National Disaster Management Programme,with sperate sub committees for calamities like,floods,earthquake etc,headed by specialists in those particular fields..These should be having a good support of the concerned departments for timely prediction and a nodal body in every state.The center and the state should have a significant amount of budget earmarked for the planning,prevention and rescue and relief measures during a calamity,annually.Besides realistic planning,there should be a check list of actions and identification of private and government bodies ,both from center and state who can be utilized for adequate and timely relief and rescue measures.

The unimaginable apathy and the repeated slackness of all concerned,makes one wonder if this turning a blind eye,or eleventh hour reaction attitude of the government is a measure to bring down the population?May the losses and tragedy being faced by the people affected by Bihar's worst flood,leave us wiser and determined to fight such calamities,more diligently in future,unless we want to be guilty along with nature ,of the unimaginable loss and innumerable deaths

As a true citizen,let us all respond to this call of humanity,and contribute our little,but significant bit,for the victims of Bihar's Flood

Col Sanjay Kapoor VSM, Lucknow