Jaideep Hardikar
|
|
Published 16.02.21, 12:06 AM
Health of the hills, as ancient tribal wisdom goes, is the wealth of the plains. The Himalayas are not in the pink of health, as several studies have warned. Unbridled human activity is wrecking the ecology of the Western Ghats and destroying the Satpudas. The result: massive human tragedies in the plains, in the form of flash floods and drought.
Last week, devastating flash floods, apparently caused by a glacial lake burst, killed over 30 people and trapped 200 workers in the underground tunnels of a hydel power project of NTPC Limited in Chamoli, Uttarakhand. The event brought back memories of a devastating cloud burst some years ago. The death toll is likely to go up as rescuers evacuate bodies from the tunnels-turned-graves, the rescue operations hampered by heavy boulders and muck.