While Uttarakhand is vulnerable to disasters, climate change is increasing these vulnerabilities. Major human interventions like hydropower projects and highways implemented without an informed or democratic decision-making process act as force multipliers during such disasters. The violations of legal and other prudent norms in their implementation further increase the damages. The absence of necessary monitoring, early warning systems and the overall disaster management system add another layer of damages during the disasters. The lack of the ability to learn lessons from disasters and lack of any accountability ensure the perpetuation of the situation.
Seriously water-stressed and facing an unprecedented crisis, India is confronted with many challenges in the water sector, including the lack of reliable information on water, absence of any initiative to restructure the water institutions, a distressed groundwater lifeline, push for large dams, increasing footprint of the urban water sector, and the sorry state of its rivers. Yet, these fail to be taken up as electoral issues.
During the July–August 2018 floods in Kerala, basic norms were violated in the management of dams, which, if operated prudently, could have alleviated the magnitude of the disaster. In this context, a strategy for the management of dams to mitigate similar disasters has been outlined.
Ever Be Financed?
Himanshu Thakkar The demands of the Sardar Sarovar Project financing is leading die Gujarat government into a financial crisis which has the potential of upsetting the execution of other vital irrigation projects.
