Back in the late 90’s (when I was a kid), various “bandhs” used to be organised in Dehradun. Thousands would convene meetings and conferences to strengthen their demand for a separate state. A plethora of reasons were laid out for this demand. One of them was inspired by the veteran leader Sunderlal Bahunguna’s Chipko movement. People wanted to preserve the ecosystem of this part of the then Uttar Pradesh. They wanted sufficient fuel wood to suffice their village’s needs so that they would not have to migrate to the plains in search for livelihood. This was the base of their demand or at least a part of it.
Thirteen years on the state seems indifferent to this particular reason. For more than a decade different governments in power have been meddling with the fragile ecosystem they were supposed to preserve. The immediate cause of the floods might have been the cloud burst but the human interference for a prolonged period only exacerbated the situation. The governments have cited “development” as the reason for constructing in the eco-sensitive zones. If this is the price one has to pay for development then we’d rather stay under-developed. Deforesting forests, constructing malls, hotels, digging out tunnels in the mountains are all actions challenging Mother Nature.
Why doesn’t the ‘development-savvy’ government complete the procrastinated construction of the Dehradun IT Park? Setting up of Rural BPOs for the youth is another option if it really wants to develop the region by creating jobs. The problem is that construction of dams and other structures comes with a package. The funds from the exchequer can be misused to personal advantage. And I feel ashamed in writing that even the relief fund for such a calamity can and I believe will be misappropriated.
What the government needs to understand is that sustainable growth is the key to a bright future for the state. Uttarakhand is beautiful not because of its man-made structures but because of its natural heritage, let’s try to preserve it.
Sanyam Kumar ([email protected])