Nepal's agony: Himalayan warning to India on disaster preparedness
The article highlights the urgent need for India to learn from Nepal's vulnerability to natural disasters in the Himalayas, such as earthquakes and Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs). It criticizes India's lack of preparedness despite warnings from seismologists and emphasizes that the Himalayas are a single, interconnected geological entity. The author, Gopalkrishna Gandhi, calls for a review of India's own built hazards like dams and reactors in high-risk zones and stresses the importance of frankness with China regarding the risks posed by its Medog hydropower project on the Brahmaputra.
Key Points
- The Himalayas are a single living rock, making dangers a shared concern for all nations in the region.
- India lacks adequate preparedness for large-scale disasters like Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) triggered by global warming.
- There is a critical need to inform potential victims about Himalayan dangers on a war footing and integrate them into new safeguarding measures.
- China's Medog hydropower project near the Paizhen Fault poses a significant risk of massive floods and debris into India's northeast.
- India must urgently review and potentially dismantle its own 'baddies' like dams and reactors in high-risk zones and decongest human agglomerations.
Exam Facts
- Gopalkrishna Gandhi, a former administrator, authored the article.
- The article references the Nepal-Bihar earthquake of 1934 and the Assam temblor of 1950.
- Shyam Saran's articles 'China's hydel project bodes ill for India' (July 14, 2026) and 'From Nepal to Uttarakhand and China, the mountains are warning us' (August 28, 2026) are cited.
- Marjorie Sykes, a British devotee of India, is quoted saying 'Dams are a damnation'.
Read it. Retain it. Recall it.
Get spaced-repetition flashcards, daily quizzes and offline access — free on Android.