Shimoga, July 12, 2013:  “The flood has caused extensive damage in Uttarakhand and it will take many years to restore normalcy there. It was disturbing to see the devastation caused by nature,” says V.L.S. Kumar, a dental surgeon from the city and a member of National Disaster Response Team (NDRT) of Indian Red Cross Society, who participated in relief operations in Uttarakhand.

Dr. Kumar has returned to the city after taking part in the relief works for 18 days. Interacting with the presspersons at a programme organised by Shimoga District Working Journalists Association here on Thursday, he said that NDRT of Red Cross Society, the Indian army, and Indo-Tibetan Border Police had rendered commendable service there.

After the flood, even the underground water was contaminated. There was an outbreak of cholera. “The most satisfying work was installation of drinking water purification unit in Balwakot village near Uttarakashi. We received water purifier units that can purify water up to 60,000 litre per day with the reverse osmosis technology. Taking these machines to the affected villages for installation was a challenge as the roads were badly damaged making them non-traversable. Our team with the help of the locals was able to carry the machine to Balwakot and it took two days to install. People of Balwakot and neighbouring villages are using the water purified by this machine now,” he said.

When Mr. Kumar was working in Pitoragarh district, there was an earthquake measuring 3.5 on the Richter scale. “The road that connects Goti and Nayabasti villages near Darchula town was washed away in the flood. Me and other members of NDRT provided relief materials for these villages by walking 10 km,” he said.

According to him, the continuous onslaught on nature in the name of development was the reason for the wide-spread damage and destruction there. Buildings constructed on river banks were washed away in the swirling water, he said.

Mr. Kumar and his team members had helped many stranded pilgrims to reach safer places. Satellite phones installed by the Indian Space Research Organisation there helped pilgrims to converse with their relatives, he said.

Many villages in Munsiyari taluk still remained inaccessible as the roads were washed away in the flood. Food and other essentials were being air-dropped in such villages. The construction of roads should be undertaken on a priority basis, he said.

Dr. Kumar said that after his return from Uttarakhand, many youths in and around Shimoga had called him and expressed their interest in taking part in the relief operations during natural disasters.

The Indian Red Cross Society conducts training programmes regularly on disaster management. Interested youths could join these training programmes, he said.

President of Shimoga District Working Journalists Association Shrungesh and General Secretary Y.K. Suryanarayan were present.

Source: The Hindu, DT. July 12, 2013.