The cyclone that hit Chennai a few days ago left the city flooded with horrifying incidents of many deaths, people stranded helter-skelter, businesses shutting down their operations and the government stands as an onlooker.
When the natural disasters hit any part of
India, it has been observed that the common citizens are left to fend for
themselves. Media makes noise and the politicians make statements, and later
the state and central governments release some funds to tackle the situation
after the big damage has been done. Cyclone, landslides, and floods are not
uncommon in India, considering its diverse geographical presence.
Take the example of one of the biggest floods
in Mumbai that struck the whole city and its suburbs on July 26, 2005. The
whole city stood standstill which, otherwise, is always alive and buzzing. Hundreds
of people died including small children. Thousands of people were stranded,
lost their homes and many walked hours together in waist-deep water for miles
to reach home. And who came to their rescue? The fellow citizens! It is the
common people who came out to help with free drinking water, food and whatever
they could offer to ease the suffering and struggle of people stranded.
Mumbaikars could feel the helplessness of the government.
Just before this Mumbai flood, the state of Gujarat
had suffered a similar fate. Known as 2005 Gujarat floods, claimed the lives of
over 175 people (although, the number could be debatable) and displaced around
176,000 people leaving them homeless.
The list of such natural calamities in India is
a long one and, if narrated, the story can go on forever. Well, one can say
that we have no control over these acts of nature and that’s exactly what
government officials and politicians state every time such events take place.
However, that’s not the point, the main agenda is our infrastructure and
disaster management system. How come every time we are struck with such
disasters, the situation goes out of control and we fail miserably.
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