Nepal that lies at the foothill of the Himalayas is familiar to the trekkers and climbers of the world’s highest peak of Mount Everest, was flattened by a strong earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale. The epicenter of the devastating quake was about ten kilometers north-west of the capital city of Kathmandu. The capital city has suffered massive loss in terms of human lives and habitats. According to the latest figures, more than ten thousand persons are reported to have perished and thousands are wounded. There is every possibility that the number of casualties can increase. A large number of people are reported missing. Much devastation has happened in the heart of the city including the iconic Dharhara tower and renowned Darbar Square. It is after about eighty years that a tragedy of this magnitude has struck Nepal once again. The first massive quake was followed by series of aftershocks, and their impact was felt in many parts of northern India. Bihar, Western UP, Bhutan, Delhi and even China and Pakistan also felt the tremors. In Delhi, metro service was suspended for some time for security reasons. About 44 persons in Bihar, West Bengal, Western UP and other places in the country are reported dead owing to house collapse.
Prime Minister Modi has talked to his Nepalese counterpart on telephone and conveyed to him Indian nation’s grief. He is personally monitoring relief and rescue work which Indian rescue team is undertaking. About forty doctors have been airlifted to Kathmandu along with medicines and emergency equipment. India dispatched as many as four aircrafts including a C-130 plane carrying three tonnes of relief supplies and a 40-member rescue team to Nepal.
As the tragedy struck Nepal, it also exposed chinks in the administrative structure of that country. It should have the disaster management system at least to meet emergency situations. Perhaps many lives could have been saved if there was efficient disaster management mechanism at hand. Nepal has many friends all over the world and they will certainly extend their help. But our country has to be the foremost in providing Nepal whatever assistance we can to rebuild the devastated infrastructure.
Central Government has taken up a massive plan of providing succour to the affected people of Nepal. National Disaster Management agency is fully geared to the task and high level committee is monitoring the deliveries of relief material.
The massive earthquake of Nepal reminds us that the entire area lying on the foothills of the Himalaya from Assam to Kashmir is volcanic and prone to earthquakes. Our geologists and geographers have already said that people in this belt are vulnerable to natural calamity of earthquake. Some years back, a devastating earthquake struck Pakistan occupied Kashmir extending up to the Kishen Ganga valley. From this we need to learn a lesson. In particular our State has to be fully aware of the fact that we are prone to an earthquake. As such, it is important that the Government takes all precautionary and preventive measures to meet any unforeseeable eventuality. In the first place, we would suggest that the disaster management system in the State should be streamlined and all necessary equipment should be kept ready. Advanced countries have early warning mechanism and our State should have a very effective early warning system made fully functional. It is important that there should be perfect coordination between the National Disaster Management Authority and its counterfoil in the State. Funds provided in the State’s annual budget for this purpose should not be diverted to other heads at any cost. If by bad luck an earthquake happens, the greatest pressure comes suddenly on the hospitals and medical services. It is therefore very important that our hospitals, in public and in private sector, should be equipped with such paraphernalia and equipment as is usually required for the treatment of people wounded in disasters like earthquake, fire and road accidents.
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