SMA Kazmi, Tribune News Service
Dehradun, June 24
The magnitude of death and destruction caused by massive landslides in the mid-Himalayan region of Uttarakhand during the past decade points to the alarming rise in human interference in a fragile mountain eco-system that happens to fall in a seismically active zone.
The release of national guidelines for the management of landslides and avalanches by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi, which was prepared by the National Disaster Management Authority on June 23, has again highlighted the recurring problems of landslides in the entire Himalayan region of the country.
Malpa, Ukkhimath, Uttarkashi and the recent Tawaghat landslides in Pitthoragarh in Uttarakhand are a grim reminder of the increasing pressure of developmental needs of the people and the fragility of the Himalayan mountains. [more]
