The idyllic landscapes of Jammu and Kashmir have once again endured tragedy. In the span of 24 agonizing hours, the region experienced two calamities; one which leaves a community grieving, and a nation mourning.
In the Ramban district, a cloudburst brought copious amounts of water and debris which ultimately took lives and destroyed homes. At almost the same time, in Reasi, a landslide buried a family alive in their house.
The total loss of lives is staggering: at least eleven lives swept away; five of which, were innocent children’s lives snuffed out in a spectacular and horrific instant.
These numbers do not reflect statistics; these were lives that represented shattered families, unrealized potential, and a stark reminder of the tenuous lifestyle of people inhabiting the ecologically sensitive Himalayas.
While these events are classified as natural disasters, they should also be a strong and urgent alert for the administration and policy-makers. There is a time to ask not only how we react to natural disasters, but how we can better prevent them, or at the very least mitigate them from being so deadly.
The immediate response by local authorities, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was commendable.
The courageous people operating in austere conditions to save the lives of others, at the risk of their own, represent the very best of our collective will. But heroism in response is but one piece of the puzzle.
First, climate change can no longer a theoretical debate held in distant conference rooms. The increased occurring and frequency of cloudbursts and unpredictable weather patterns are direct outcomes of climate change.
The time is long overdue for a comprehensive, multi-tiered, community based early warning system. Technology exists to predict extremes in weather with greater precision than ever before.
The loss of lives in Ramban and Reasi is a national loss. As we record our deepest condolences to the families who are grieving, and give support and provide relief to those survivors, we must direct our grief into something constructive.
