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DAM-L LS: Deforestation in Himalayas Blamed for Himachal Floods (fwd)
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subject: LS: Deforestation in Himalayas Blamed for Himachal Floods
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Environment New Service, Aug 3, 2000
Deforestation in Himalayas Blamed for Killer Flood
By Tara Chand Malhotra
NEW DELHI, India, August 3, 2000 (ENS) - More than 150
people have died and many others are injured after an
unprecedented wave of flash floods swept across the banks of the Sutlej
River in northern India Monday night. For four hours the Sutlej rose
about 45 feet above normal and washed away everything in its path,
changing the face of the riverbanks permanently.
The flood covers a 300 kilometer (186 mile) stretch
from Namgya in the Kinnaur district to Tatapani in the Mandi district
of Himachal Pradesh state.
The state's chief minister, Prem Kumar Dhumal, who made
an aerial survey of the affected areas, said that the floods have
taken a heavy toll of life and property.
So far, 125 bodies have been recovered from the river. "But many
more are missing," Dhumal said.
More than 30 bridges have been washed away.
Many police posts, government rest houses, and
army camps have been also washed away along
with hundreds of villages," the chief minister said.
Nearly 200 villages inhabited by at least 1,500 people
remained inaccessible today for the third straight day. More
than 1,000 houses and property worth billions of rupees has been
destroyed by the flood.
The floods are believed to have been caused by a cloud
burst in Tibet. Environmentalists say that massive deforestation
in the hills is the main reason for the severe flooding.
Landslides during the summer monsoon rains in this
hilly state are also attributable to deforestation at higher altitudes,
environmentalists say.
The Himachal region has seen growing commercialization
resulting in unplanned and haphazard development of real estate in
the name of tourism. Consequently, the extensive selling of trees
has gradually changed the ecological balance of the picturesque
state.
Streams like this in India's high hills become
roaring rivers flooding the lower lands during summer monsoon rains.
Dhumal said, "I have spoken to both Prime Minister Vajpayee and Defence
Minister George Fernandes and both have assured me
of full cooperation. "In fact, the Prime Minister told me that Central
assistance teams would soon join the rescue operations. According to initial
estimates, property worth 10 billion rupees
has been damaged. We have asked the Centre to release five billion."
According to Dhumal, three power plants have been shut
down because the flood water has entered and damaged the
machinery. "The Bhaba power plant has been hit badly. This plant
was producing 120 megawatts of electricity. The Naptha Jhakri power
plant has also been hit," he said.
While the tribal belt of Kinnaur continues to remain
cut off from rest of the state as all the telecommunication links have
been washed away, Rampur is slowly limping back to normalcy.
"The telephone lines to Rampur would be restored in the
next couple of days. But Kinnaur is going to take time," said a top
official. Temporary bridges into the region are being built with
the help of army and paramilitary forces.
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