I wonder how our mountains have grown to be so unstable. Is it just something new we have been able to notice recently?
Though the Himalayas formed in India’s lap, can give the credit of its existence to the interaction (technically Subduction of denser plate under the other) of two plates enclosing Tethys Sea under its covers.
These splendid mountains are still growing and changing its shape, much to our awe.
Secondly, these mountains are composed of greater proportion of sedimentary rocks than igneous and hence lesser density, rendering it a vulnerable character and an easy victim of landslides.
But researches in mountain ecology had only been concentrated on the natural conditions, for long time. And, we know that overwhelming human activities have changed our Hills undisputedly.
Nevertheless, these are rather integrated, dynamic and ever-evolving systems of Nature.
But why that worries us now?
Certain recent studies and even the IPCC reports (including AR6) have substantially warned about more destructive floods, only to be caused due to sea-level rise and high-intensity rainfall.
India falls in the region of utmost severity and hence there is a need to upscale and at least strengthen its disaster management systems.
Can we mitigate through the changing weather patterns and Nature working against us, only through emergency measures in the particularly affected region? Or we need a bigger plan?
Havoc within the hills and coasts:
Now as Monsoon retreats from the Indian subcontinent and the easterly trade winds are replacing the westerlies (October is always transitional period), it is even behaving more chaotically: excessive rains here, floods there, several lands have been eroded while others have gone under water.
Delhi, unconventionally, is witnessing one of the wettest 24-hour periods in decades.
The Hills we call home, are disappearing under Nature’s fury: Ramgarh, Ramnagar (part of unreserved forests in Corbett National Park) in Uttarakhand gone within days and every possible road connecting various districts absolutely damaged.
‘Kumaon’ has been more affected than ‘Garhwal’ region of Uttarakhand.
NDRF, SDRF and even Indian Army contingents are making strides to save people from an untimely death. Death numbers, of both Humans and animals, are still being ascertained.
Northern India is not alone struggling with heavy downpour and floods.
Just in previous week, the two low-pressure systems prevailing separately over the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea — were quite active at the same time.
This triggered severe weather events in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, and even Uttarakhand.
Several thick hilly forest cover areas like Ernakulam, Idukki, Kottayam, and Kollam districts are severely affected, paired up with the water run-off triggered mudslides and landslides locally.
As per IMD: “A low-pressure system, depending on the strength, causes heavy-to-very heavy rainfall. When the low-pressure system interacts with western disturbance, the intensity of the rainfall increases.”
Nature behaving wildly: what’s the way out?
Several expert committees formed to enlighten the policymakers of the risks involved and mitigation measures required, have advised utmost caution in undertaking the damaging infrastructure projects in both the fragile areas: the Himalayas and the Western Ghats.
Madhav Gadgil committee for the Western Ghats, recommended 75% of fragile areas to be tagged as Ecologically sensitive areas and become untouched. However, all the state parties involved, expressed their disagreement and opposition to the plan.
Therefore, irresponsible continuation of mining, construction activities and hydroelectricity projects were rather embraced.
Integrated disaster: Integrated efforts?
Though the onus lies on the elected Governments to help survive the country’s serene natural resources, but it is not their sole responsibility. It demands of us also whatever we are demanding of them.
We are clearly not doing our bit to save the planet.
We tamper with Nature every singly day of our lifetimes, all generations, all regions. It is one day Nature decides to strike back on us. It is not a fair game though, as the ones getting impacted first are always the ones with lower ecological footprints.
It can be hills today, coasts tomorrow but if this continues and we only feel elated of whatever smaller attempts we have made, time will indeed come for us.
Just like a few hill-stations who have begin to voice their concerns and speak for their Mother Nature, we can indeed choose to say No to excessive and reckless plantations or maybe our Oxygen centers razed down to foster more Human habitations.
The mountain ecologists can choose to make a significant contribution for mountain resource development problems with an overall holistic frame-work. Diluting EIA is for sure not a viable option.
To mitigate, it becomes necessary to understand the significant processes and critical indicators of environmental deterioration and ensure more efficient use of scientific manpower.