Taming the : Life or death R. S. Pirta University, Department of Psychology, 2001 [email protected]

Keywords: deforestation, erosion, land erosion, floods, hydroelectric power, Himachal Pradesh, India.

After about 65 km from the Hindustan-Tibet road (NH 22) winds down from the Narkanda at 2700m. Traveling over a bare ridge the glimpse of the mixed broad leafed and coniferous forest soothes the eyes. From his bungalow at Narkanda Colonel Rennick introduced potatoes in these hills. 1 Hill tops were denuded to plant these tubers.

Soon forests give way to lush green apple orchards. Glens widen into a panoramic view of terraces. Vast expanse of landscape forms a uniform dark green background due to continuous rain in this season since early June. On the left is the Kotgarh ilaqua , the karmabhoomi of Satyanand Stokes.2 For himself he transcended from a Christian missionary to a Vedanti. However, for the natives he brought a revolution by bringing a tree crop from America, the apples. The identity of Himachal Pradesh is now its apples.

On the right side is the lesser known area that lost its identity, the thakurai of Kumharsain. Identity crisis 3 coils and recoils like hairpin turns of road that steeply descends into the Sutlej valley basin at 900 m. It was August, piles of apple boxes ready for their journey to the market far away in the plains wait for their turn in lorries.

DARK NIGHT IN THE SUTLEJ VALLEY

In the second week of August 2000 it appeared that nothing wrong has happened few days ago in this region. The cool breeze slowly gave way to hot humid air rising from the valley floor. Unequally wide narrow strip of muddy water joined the northern and southern steep slopes of the green landscape. It was the Vedic river Shutudri rejuvenated as Sutlej in modern times. 4 Originating as Langchen Khabab from the southern slopes of Mount Kailash, 5 it travels through the mystic region where once Bonpo 6 flourished and enters into the Indian territory near Khab, a narrow man made cut into massive rock structure. For about three hundred kilometers the river meanders untamed and then abruptly merges in its water. A phenomenon made possible by great human engineering feat, the a temple of modern India, due to which a huge artificial water body was formed drowning the town of Bilaspur and its fertile valleys. Over the years, the big reservoir known as Gobind Sagar has become a lake of sorrow. On the early morning of August 1, 2000 when it was still dark, Sutlej deposited more than 200 people with their material possessions in its deep waters. 7,8 Before anyone could realize what was happening, a 15 meter high tide of roaring river hit the first row of houses along the bank. It was followed by more torrents of water affecting homes even at a distance of 25 meter from the river. The water turned and twisted at every bend of the river causing whirls that sucked in huge concrete structures along the river.

The NH 22 takes a right turn from Sainj on the left bank of Sutlej river. Human memory abruptly plays magic. Recall process flashes cognitive maps with limbic arousal. One after another the bridges over Sutlej were conspicuously missing. That indicates the anger of Sutlej on August 1, 2000 about 3 a.m. A novice may wonder if any bridge ever existed over Sutlej. 9

Nogli, that was yet to recover from the flash flood of 1997, bore the brunt of the Sutlej. Signboard and flags of Ratan Guest House on the edge of road stood witness that there existed a building few days ago. This small township, that caters the need of remote hill villages, was saved by a patch of trees and by an embankment on the sides of the Nogli Khad where it meets the Sutlej. Sutlej did not scare people but they were afraid of this small river that devastated their lives about three years ago. On both sides of Nogli town the NH 22 was sinking and may slide down into Sutlej in near future. The gaping crevices were being filled with soil by bulldozers.

After 5 km abruptly the frontal view of Rampur appears that was once the capital of the princely state of Bashahr, perhaps the largest in area among the Simla Hill States. Presently the right bank of Rampur comprises of Broh (Bron) and Jagatkhana and on the left bank is the main bazaar. Rampur is famous for Lavi Fair that reminds of socio-cultural and trade relations with Tibet. Under the Chief Ministership of Vir Bhadra Singh, whose ancestors ruled the princely state, a number of government offices and hotels came up here. Local people also started haphazard construction mainly at Broh and Jagatkhana, on the low-lying area along Sutlej.

The gushing waters of the Sutlej washed away those structures of Broh and Jagatkhana and filled many of them with silt. Timely warning from the people up in the Sutlej valley saved hundreds of lives. However, the river carried a number of people who could not be woken up at midnight to Govind Sagar. All the bridges linking the two sides of Rampur town were washed except one that was yet to be inaugurated. Only pedestrian could cross it since the road on both ends of the bridge needed repair. The old town of Rampur remained untouched by the river as it stands on the solid rock base.

On August 12, near Gandhi Park in Rampur, a building stood on a loose mass of soil that was constantly hit by the river current. After six days the structure at that site splashed the river water with a thud diverting course of Sutlej towards Jagatkhana. Six people died and several houses were damaged. 10

Same was probably the fate of a few more Government buildings at the entrance of the Rampur town. The Mehta Bhavan and the Bushahar Sadan constructed nearly three years ago were now empty, as the soil below them has sunk. Very near to them were the Caffe Sutlej and Hotel Regencey, both belonging to HPTDC may be the next casualty. A tourist complex of HPTDC was washed at Tatapani, down in the Sutlej valley in the flash flood.

Construction of buildings in the river basin is a wrong model of learning for the common people. Rampur bazaar and the old village of Nirath are an example of traditional wisdom for a construction site. Will modern engineers learn any lesson?

RAMPUR TO WANGTU: A DEATH TRAP

From Rampur to Wangtu the area is very fragile and valley becomes narrow, both sides steeper in gradient. In most of the year this stretch of land turns brown, only in July and August it has greenery. Extensive felling of trees started as early as 1850 in the Sutlej valley by British contractors who took benefit of the poor condition of the hill chiefs. 11 The deforestation and consequent erosion had never stopped since then. It is important to note that wherever there were small patches of trees either on the banks of river or up in the hills the erosion is minimum.

Over the past several years a number of small hydroelectric projects had come up in the stretch between Rampur and Wangtu. Schemes at Ghanvi (22 MW) and Bhaba (120 MW) are complete. For the last decade or so work on a 1500 MW scheme, the Nathpa Jhakri Hydroelectric Project, is going on. It is one of the largest hydroelectric projects of the country whose cost may escalate beyond RS. 10000 crores. Even the cost of much controversial and 260.5 m high Tehri Dam is below that.

Thus nearly 80-km stretch of valley is under much human pressure, causing ever more damage to its ecosystem. Work is in progress on three more hydroelectric projects, Baspa Stage-I (150 MW), Baspa Stage-II (300 MW) and Karchham-Wangtu (600 MW), very near up in the Sutlej valley.

There is a great danger in the valley due to seismic changes, induced or natural. It has been totally ignored by the planners of hydroelectric projects in this valley. These human activities are crucial to estimate the damage caused by natural disasters that are recurring every three-year in this small region between Rampur and Wangtu.

Nathpa: 1993

During July-August 1993, a landslide from the right bank of Sutlej obstructed the flow of Sutlej near Nathpa, 185 km from Shimla, creating an artificial lake. Water of the lake entered through the outlet of 120 MW Bhaba Power House causing it heavy losses. After great effort the rocks blocking Sutlej were blown into pieces by dynamites making passage for dammed up water. During this period people in the low lying areas of the Sutlej below that spot spent sleepless nights. A central government team from New Delhi assessed the loss at Bhaba Power House around Rs. 25-lakh daily due to stoppage of power generation. 12

Nathpa Jhakri Power Corporation had already started work at the site of the 1993 landslide. It included massive tampering, externally as well as internally, with the rock structure. Presently the base of the 60-meter high dam was being laid there to divert the Sutlej into a tunnel. However, it has been considerably damaged in the flash flood.

The height of the dam is a conspicuous error. If the height remains at 60.5 m the outlet of Bhaba Power House will be blocked thus damaging a 120 MW project. Lowering of dam height means reduction in generation of power. Inevitable 4-m reduction in height of dam brings peak power generation to half.

Panvi, Andhra and Nogli: 1997

On the evening of August 11, 1997, the Panvi Khud, a small nullah originating up in the Shatul Ghati brought tons of debris with it and blocked the mighty Sutlej for several days. 13,14 Six major bridges left no trace cutting the Kinnaur from rest of the country and eroding about 6 km of the NH 22. Big boulders and gravel buried the small habitation and 11 persons at Wangtu. A big lake was formed at Wangtu due to blockage of the Sutlej. For several days people made their way to Kinnaur by crossing the artificial lake by boat.

On the same night at 8 p.m. the Andhra Khud flowing on the backside of the same mountain range washed away a roadside township of Chirgaon with more than 300 inhabitants. A considerable loss did occur on the same night by the Nogli Khud originating from the same ridge. Andhra Power House (17 MW) and Nogli Power House (2.5 MW) suffered heavy losses and did not generate electricity for about one year. The local people and geologists agree that the flash flood was caused by a cloudburst on the Shatul Ghati (4640 m), which divides the Sutlej and Pabbar water catchment areas. However, no study using satellite imagery was conducted to ascertain the formation of clouds that might have precipitated into torrential rain. Referring to a confidential report by the geologists a news item said that,

"Nearly 2000 people (officially 125) lost their lives in the flash floods which resulted from a cloud burst on August 11, .... The geologists opine that had there been no human interference with the original course of Andhra Khud, the tragedy could have been averted." (The Indian Express: 25.10.97) 15

Here it is important to note that on both sides of Shatul Ghati the elevation of the mountains go up to 5260 m. It is the Hansbeshan (5240 m) mountain that feeds to all the three rivers that caused major damage on August 11, Panvi, Andhra and Nogli. Thus the probability of the melting of snow on Hansbeshan cannot be ruled out as the cause of the devastating flood.

Extraction of medicinal herbs, flowering parts and the roots, is extensive in those high mountain pastures during July and August. The traditional village control over the extraction process, where considerable time was given to herbs for maturation, is no more functioning. The migratory herds of pastoralists also graze in those pastures during summer.

Mt. Kailash: 2000

The third incident that brought a high column of water on the August 1, 2000 occurred far away at the origin of Sutlej in Mt. Kailash, the abode of Shiva. 16 However, the major loss took place in the region between Rampur and Wangtu. The damage may run into several hundred crores as direct loss to the Nathpa Jhakri Hydroelectric Project. The other major loss is the delay in completion of the project that is estimated about one year. Each day the state would loss Rs. 5 crore if there is delay in the completion of the project by December 2001. Total cost of the project has gone up to Rs. 10000 crore.

Sutlej laughs at the big hoardings that enumerate the safety measures taken under this scheme. Authorities claim that this project has one of the world's largest silt filtering underground environments. How is it functioning today is a big question. Engineers today are reluctant to talk about such claims. The whole area that used to be noisy by heavy excavating machinery and large number of work force from distant places of India and Nepal, working under extremely hazardous conditions, bore a deserted look after the flash flood.

FAMINE AWAITS PEOPLE OF KINNAUR The mystic Kinner country starts from Mneoti Dhar near Wangtu and is cut to other parts of India by motor road due to flash flood. Here also the traditional wisdom of people slaps on the modern engineers. NH 22 requires re-survey because it is very close to the Sutlej river. The army camps at various places from Wangtu to Khab were severely damaged including washing away of the airstrips and mules, the modern and traditional means of transportation, respectively, used by the army.

The telecommunication system, however, did a commendable service that should be lauded. Hundreds of lives were saved in low lying villages of Kinnaur that got warnings of rising Sutlej over telephone from their relatives living farther up in the valley. There was urgent need to strengthen telecommunication system in such remote areas. Kinnaur was also severed even from Lahaul & Spiti that joins it with the Manali. Even for Sangla Valley, the tourist paradise in lower Kinnaur, a distance of about 25-km from Wangtu to Karchham was a hazardous walk.

It was good fortune that the Shatrujeet Bridge at Wangtu inaugurated in 1998 was spared by Sutlej. Even after two weeks after the flash flood, the rehabilitation work was moving like a snail. It was not only the people of Kinnaur and the tourists that pour into this valley during summer, the area was near the border with the China and thus of great strategic importance.

If the road was not ready by the end of August the economy of Kinnaur will paralyze. Uncertain future haunted the minds of the people of Kinnaur. Danger of a famine due to human apathy was looming large over them. The rest of India would not see the golden apple of Kinnaur if the road remained damaged. Prices of essential consumer items were high due to transportation through air. Alternative use of apples was essential. Some of the items that can be prepared from apples were jam, jelly, juice and cider. The announcement of support price (Rs.10/kg) was a good gesture, the experience, however, indicates that the procured apples may go in waste. A lesson from Amartya Sen's entitlement theory is that under such circumstances give some job to the empty hands.

GLOBAL PHENOMENA LOCAL MISERY

Why the Sutlej got angry? Rumors galore. Jodh Singh of Sangla vividly narrated that Mansarover was hit at one of its corner causing release of more volume of water and therefore the rise in water level of Sutlej. Only a fraction is coming on our side the rest is going toward China. A hawker Radhey at Rampur says that China has done the mischief and released water from its dam. Ravinder Singh of Chagaon who has opened a teashop near Wangtu had heard the same story. A shopkeeper at the Gandhi Park in Rampur showed his apathy, he seems more worried about the partiality in help given to the affected people. Jeeupur whose house and land were damaged at Kaksthal was pleading his case with everybody coming from Shimla. However, he was entirely ignorant about the cause of the fury of Sutlej. Although he had been taking his herds of sheep and goat up and down along the Sutlej, the nightmare of August 1 to this elderly pastoralist has no match in his memory.

Cloudburst may cause flash flood. A medium-scale system laying over large- scale system like the pressure trough results in cloudburst. 17 Spatially a cloudburst may range from few to greater than hundred kilometers and lasts from few hours to a day.

The recent most cloudburst incident in the Shimla region was probably the Chirgaon-Wangtu-Nogli tragedy of August 1997. There was no attempt to find out whether the cloudburst has taken place. Meteorological satellite images can give a clue to it even ex post facto . The cloudburst appears as a bright cloud cluster in the satellite picture and even the precipitation center is clearly observable. Who prevents us from making such evaluations? The suspicion is that cloudburst is a scapegoat to hide human blunder.

Cloudburst precipitates as a local phenomenon but its causal factors may be clouds and winds originating in distant parts of globe. For example, the cyclone rising in Bay of Bengal or a cloud system of low pressure from the Bhagirathi Valley or the Arabian Sea Surge could cause precipitation in the Tibetan Plateau.

Temperature rise on the sea surface of the Pacific Ocean causes devastating fire in forests of southern Borneo. Hard to correlate. Ecologist Peter Bunyard in his book The Breakdown of Climate associates it with global warming and El Nino.18 According to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change the average temperature of the earth has raised 0.60C above the pre-industrial average. The most conspicuous effects of global warming that concerns us here are on melting of earth's ice cover and monsoon.

News bulletin of the Worldwatch Institute, March 6, 2000 says "within the next 35 years, the Himalayan glacial area alone is expected to shrink by one-fifth." 19 For some time the rivers originating in the Himalayas are expected to swell abnormally and then fall to dangerously low levels. The report also warns about the bursting of glacial lakes. Therefore it is important to distinguish whether the cause of recent flash flood in the Sutlej was bursting of glacial lake or cloudburst in the Tibetan Plateau.

During years 1997-98 the average temperature of the earth broke its earlier records. This unprecedented change in the climate was due to El Nino, the fever in the Pacific Ocean. The fever is the result of disturbance in the balance of the flow of hot and cold water currents deep in the ocean. El Nino changes the sea surface temperature and creates abnormalities in the Gaia's (the Mother Earth) systems. 18

Since our understanding of these phenomena is only preliminary there is lot of scope for skeptic scientists and politicians. However, the July and August 2000, issues of Current Science contain reports from scientists of India Meteorological Department at Pune that the El Nino of 1997-98 and global warming may have relationship with monsoon fluctuations in Indian Sub-continent. 20,21

Look at an email message sent on August 19, 2000, to members of the Mountain Forum all over the World. Aslov informs that the rapid increase in melting of the snow and glacier resources of Pamir may break the lakes in mountains of Tajikstan and Kyrgyzstan which may affect around 40 million people in various states of Aral Sea basin. The immediate need is Aslov writes "I would like to make a request to the Members of the Mountain Forum to help in assessment and forecasting of future changes of snow and glacier resources in the Pamir as a result of the global climate change." 22

LESSONS TO LEARN

Learning from mistakes is a universal phenomenon among human beings. Global warming, El Nino, cloudburst or some other factor may have caused the flash flood in Sutlej, it is high time that the nation and states develop mechanisms to wipe tears of affected people. It will not only decrease the sufferings of masses but also generate a sense of unity with the nation.

It is also important to review the developmental policies in the fragile Himalayan mountains. Let there be no activity that enhances the fragileness of those young mountains. Traditional wisdom must be allowed to constrain our scientific adventure. Readiness to learn is the hallmark of human nature. We stop to learn only when individual greed blurs the imagination.

Attitude towards toiling hands

A deserted look awaits the visitor at Nathpa, not panoramic view as a hoarding says. The statistical jugglery that the Sutlej will rise to such an abnormal height, as it did on August 1, 2000 only once in 61000 years is not a scientific fact. There is always a huge error in such estimates. Who is going to bear the cost of that error? Definitely the hands that toil. Hundreds of laborers hired by various contractors of Nathpa Jhakri Power Corporation were trapped in the maze work of tunnels, the engineer's pride. It is another matter that under British Raj, several decades ago numerous such tunnels were dug for constructing railway line from Kalka to Shimla.

Laborers were reluctant to work under such hazardous conditions. Contractors were also not keen to pay the wages of idle hours since the resumption of work would take several months. Besides the loss of costly machinery, all approach roads were washed and the tunnels were filled with water and silt. Hunger and joblessness forced workers from far-flung areas to accept the bait in the death trap between Rampur and Wangtu.

Receding Sutlej and empathy of government had brought a perceptible change in attitudes of contractors towards the worker organizations. The contractors softened their posture towards those organizations with which they were at war. The CITU that was struggling for workers' interests could bargain a deal with the contractors. 23

Curiously even after twelve days of tragedy the Sutlej water was still gushing into a tunnel at Nathpa where the foundation of 60 feet high reservoir was being laid. How can one be sure about the safety of the human lives at the world's largest underground tunneling work? Only the bait to induce worker is made more attractive.

Deposition of huge earthen mass in reservoirs

Human activities in the water catchment areas of Sutlej are reducing the life of gigantic Gobind Sagar. Calculate the earthen mass excavated from a 27-km long tunnel of 10-m diameter between Naptha and Jhakri. The river Sutlej carries the debris to the Bhakra Dam reservoir. Thus drastically affecting electricity generation and irrigation water during lean period of the river. Although the engineers claim underground tunnels as environment friendly, the consequences of this technology require a thorough cost-benefit analysis. It appears that a lobby of technocrats promotes underground schemes. A tunnel under the Rohtang Pass to connect the Lahaul area with Manali during winter has been recently approved by the center. The debris of this tunnel is likely to fill Pong Dam reservoir on .

A perceptive forester Pratap Singh warned in 1967 about the threat of siltation of Bhakra Dam due to destruction of forest in the Himachal Pradesh. "The value of agricultural and industrial prosperity ushered in by this dam has been estimated at Rs. 1,00,00,00,000 annually. And as the life of the dam has already been reduced since the formation of Himachal Pradesh to a half, that is by 300 years the loss to nation from this dam alone amounts to Rs. 3,00,00,00,00,000. Can India afford such a heavy loss?" 24

Lure of timber

The turn over of Himachal Pradesh Forest Corporation has increased from Rs. 2.54 crore in 1974-75 to about Rs.145 crores in 1999-2000. A gigantic leap at the cost of extensive and irreparable deforestation on steep slopes of the geologically fractured Himalaya. The increases of revenue clearly indicate that tree felling has been steadily increasing in the state. As if that was not enough, the Himachal government stepped into 2000 by lifting ban on felling of trees. However the timely intervention by the Supreme Court of India has temporarily delayed the tragedy. Even the Planning Commission of India seems to pressurize Himachal Pradesh to increase its revenue from forest resources.

Strife over use of water resources between the neighboring states is likely to increase in future. Since the very inception of Himachal Pradesh, it is engaged in dispute with Punjab. As early as 1967, Punjab accused Himachal of doubling the rate of siltation in Gobind Sagar and threatened to cut the food grains to the state. Response of the then Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Y. S. Parmar, was "In utter desperation, Himachal might do something which it would not like to do in national interest." 24 Although Parmar continued restraint on felling of trees, those who took leadership of Himachal after him have now and then engaged in butchery of the trees to replenish the empty coffers of the state as the small hill Rajas did during British Raj.

A Center for Science and Environment at New Delhi questions the wisdom of CHIPKO that destruction of trees in the Himalaya causes erosion, landslides and flood in rivers. 25 If scientists have not collected necessary evidence there is no reason to cast doubt on the common wisdom. There is no doubt that the Himalaya is young and fragile and therefore prone to erosion and landslide due to heavy rains. Denudation of hills intensifies this process and hence it is not a myth .

Policy of development in the Himalaya

Coordination among the planners within the state and between the neighboring states is lacking. Willpower to frame a policy for sustainable development in the Himalaya is a far cry for which the environmentalist Sunderlal Bahuguna is advocating since last several decades. 26,27

The forest department in order to maximize its revenue may do a colossal damage to other developmental projects in the area of agriculture, horticulture and electricity production. The other departments optimize their profits without caring for young, dynamic and fragile mountains of the Himalaya. Encroaching by peasants on lush green forests for potato and apple cultivation is rampant. Himachal's potential for 20000-megawatt electricity generation is a magic phrase, a talisman to eradicate the poverty of highlanders.

In isolation every planner seems convincing, however, in reality each project causes heavy losses to the other project. For example, apples and potatoes eating up lush green forests, dream to generate 20000 MW shakes the mighty Himalaya and the forester's axe cuts the very branch on which we are sitting. We must learn lessons from the draught that hit India a few months back affecting more than 100 million people in 12 states, and it was felt that the traditional water harvesting technologies must also receive priority. The Hindu Kush-Himalaya stores fresh water that affects life of about 150 million people in its mountain ranges and more than 500 million people dependent on water of rivers originating from it. 28 After the Antarctica the largest storehouse of freshwater as snow and glaciers is in the mountains of Hindu Kush-Himalaya. Today almost all its glaciers are melting rapidly. The rate of recession of Gangotri glacier has almost tripled. 29

KAALA and KAALACHAKRA: Are people under a false grip of fear?

While KAALA or death engulfed Kinnaur, Lahaul and Spiti enjoyed KAALCHAKRA. The compassion seized by tantra . Mammoth gathering at Kee Gompa in Spiti did not give a helping hand to Kinnaur. For masses the reality is out there not inside.

More than 4000 years ago the Indus Valley Civilization flourished on the banks of Indus river originating from the same area in Tibet from where Sutlej comes. Melting glaciers descended and blocked the river resulting in temporary lakes that broke from time to time. Waves of water eroding huge mass of earth on its way spread it over the plains where cities of Mohen-jo-Daro and Harrapa existed. 30 The tragedy of such an incident in Sutlej Valley may be catastrophic. We are considering the effects of recent flash flood only on sparsely populated area. What will happen when a high column of water creates a mighty wave in the Gobind Sagar lake? Mere thought of such an incident blocks the consciousness.

What is the scenario in the Sutlej valley catchment area in Tibet and in Himachal Pradesh? Traders, pilgrims, pastoralists and soldiers frequent the upper water catchment of Sutlej. However we must admit that the natural river ecosystem has deteriorated more in Himachal Pradesh than in the sparsely populated area of Tibet. Herds of pastoralists have been migrating up and down in the Sutlej Valley. This pressure on the vegetation of valley was eased out in 1959 after Chinese aggression. Besides that the colonial rulers extensively consumed the forest resources in the Sutlej valley up to the border with Tibet. However, the taming of Sutlej by Bhakra Dam brought an unprecedented change in its natural ecosystem. Human population flooded the valley. A similar change is threatening Bhagirathi valley near Tehri where Sunderlal Bahuguna is holding a red flag to warn us from danger of Tehri Dam. 31

For the recent scenario in the upper water catchment area of Sutlej 32 look at a report from an American scientist Daniel Winkler.33 He reports that massive logging in the valleys of rivers originating in the Tibet Autonomous Region has been causing flood in the lower regions of China and North-East India. The hydroelectric schemes were adversely affected. Suffering heavy losses due to flood the Chinese government announced a major change in their policy, the logging was banned on September 1, 1998, and large scale tree plantation was announced. Not only that a Chinese scientist Ye Huiming 17 writes that special programs of research had already been launched to forecast the probability of flood due to cloudburst and other climatic changes by using meteorological satellites.

In the lower water catchment area of the Sutlej that is in the Himachal Pradesh the policy of the Government stands in stark contrast to the Chinese. A policy decision to restore felling of the trees was taken early this year by Himachal. 34 No afforestation program is going on in the catchment area even though a big hydroelectric and irrigation project and various smaller schemes are in the valley. Besides that human pressure for various reasons is ever increasing. Safety of human lives can be ensured by setting up small centers in the Sutlej valley that can forecast the flood, cloudburst or glacial lake formation in the catchment area using remote sensing technology combined with geological and geographical information system.

A famine caused by draught or flood may be a natural calamity, however, Amartya Sen 35 made the world realize that the toll of human life that it takes has social basis. Famine does occur when there is enough in the store. Not long ago, Bhagat Puran Singh 36 would collect enough through alms to look after the daily needs of more than 500 destitute at Pingalwara in Amritsar. Our tragedy is that Puran Singh, Sunderlal Bahuguna and Amartya Sen stand on the margin.

Although scientists must find out the causes of draught and flood that engulf large parts of our country every year, a much greater challenge is our preparedness to combat such tragedies. Tame the Sutlej if you can but not at cost of human lives.

References

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