READ BEFORE YOU PROCEED:
D2G wears no responsibility of the views published here by the respective Author. This Editorial is used here for Study Purpose. Students are advised to learn the word-meaning, The Art of Writing Skills and understand the crux of this Editorial.
MEANINGS are given in BOLD and ITALIC
Once again, a vigorous (strong, healthy, and full of energy) monsoon so vital to India’s economic fortunes has left some States in a shambles (a state of total disorder). From Assam to Karnataka, heavy rainfall in a short span of time has created paralysing floods that have taken a heavy toll of life, wiped out crops and destroyed hard-earned assets. When the waters recede (go or move back or further away from a previous position), a familiar cycle of assessment of damage by Central teams, preparation of loss estimates and expensive restoration work such as repairs to river embankments, will follow.
In Assam, where 31 deaths have been recorded already, there are projects to strengthen the embankments of the heavily silted Brahmaputra; the Flood Control Department as well as the disaster relief force have well-funded budgets. Yet, the hundreds of crores of rupees periodically spent on flood preparation, relief and mitigation (the action of reducing the severity, seriousness, or painfulness of something) research in the State have not yielded a protocol that reduces the impact of heavy rain.
The swollen river invariably dissolves the weak earthen embankments overnight. Now that another furious season is providing fresh insight into the causes, effects and impact of rain and floods in north eastern India and elsewhere, it is time the Centre took a coordinated view in tackling the crisis. To begin with, it has to review the efficacy of the flood forecasts issued by nearly 180 specialised stations now in operation, and the pattern of responses of the 19 States and Union Territories that receive these alerts.
Urban India is no less traumatised (cause physical injury to) by floods, but city governments have not learnt too many lessons from devastation (great destruction or damage) and losses. The scenes of gridlock and frustration in Gurgaon, Bengaluru and Delhi last week travelled around the world, just months after the disaster in Chennai.
Can there be a surgical solution to sclerotic (becoming rigid and unresponsive; losing the ability to adapt) urban planning? Bengaluru is the epitome (personification, embodiment, incarnation, paragon) of governmental indifference to wetlands, most of which have been severely encroached upon or polluted. Being able to live with floods in today’s dense cities requires that these lakes be desilted and restored on a war footing.
New artificial wetlands may have to be created to compensate for those that have already been built over. The spectacle of flooding and destruction should convince the Environment Ministry that it is retrograde (directed or moving backwards) to sanction large real estate projects without an environmental impact assessment.
Some real estate companies have been slapped with penalties by the National Green Tribunal for encroaching upon lakes, but urban planning agencies are equally responsible and must also be called to account for tacitly sanctioning the violations. Provision of relief to those affected by the latest floods has to go beyond patronage politics, and meet the actual needs of the people, particularly those who have suffered extreme losses.
#################
