India Floods in Uttarakhand-Natural or Man-Made?

Many people are overwhelmed when such an extreme disaster like the June 2013 flooding in Uttarakhand, India happens. The scale of destruction is huge and thousands remain stranded in parts of northern India as they wait to be rescued from Uttarakhand where at least 5,000 people may have died due to the heavier than normal June monsoon rains. At least 12,000 people have been evacuated. The priority right now is for the continuation of rescue efforts. The devastation is the result of extreme heavy rainfall and landslides. Could this be the disaster that was waiting to happen? Many questions are being asked and remain to be answered, such as was there adequate response and evacuation planning? What if anything was done in advance to mitigate against such flooding and destruction of this magnitude?

Could this disaster have been avoided? Based on public commentary and other reports, some are saying that unplanned development and the aggressive cutting of forests are partially responsible for the magnitude and scale of the disaster, along with inadequate urban planning which led to infrastructure being placed in harm’s way. Concerns by some with knowledge of the region indicate that mitigation efforts such flood prevention planning may have lessened the devastation of the floods, including measures to strengthen the embankments and setting up pre-warning systems so that those without electronic communication systems could have been warned earlier. Another major concern reported was the need to have effective emergency and evacuation plans in place to be better prepared to respond to events of such magnitude. There is no way to control the increased concentration of rainfall in the region, but mitigation planning can be proactively initiated to protect the citizens and the environment.

Additional Social Media Tools & Coverage of the Floods:

Eye Witness Blog Account of Evacuations & Ground Situation http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/blog-at-harsil-relief-camp-in-uttarakhand-the-green-tokens-fly-first-the-reds-have-to-wait-384009

Google Person Finder activated for Uttarakhand flood victims
http://google.org/personfinder/2013-uttrakhand-floods/

Video of Entire Apartment Swept Away by Floods: http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=vDUm5TU4N7M&feature=endscreen

Author: Jackie Covington, Emergency Management Associate