Silent Reminder of the wrath of nature
I’m in the perfect pre hike zone where you only think about
where you will be in the next 10 days , where you start dusting your hiking
bag and where you start digging out
previous hike lists .
As I was doing that, I began creating space on my camera and
came across a series of pictures I had taken during my hikes in Uttarakhand
late last year ,pictures that are a silent reminder
of the force of nature and images that remind us to think about times we take the environment and the
wrath of nature for granted.
We are all aware of the flash floods and landslides that were unleashed by early monsoon rains in the state of Uttarakhand in 2013.
It was accounted as one of the largest natural disasters of the region, killing a number of people and leaving tens of thousands stranded.
We have all read about the incident and seen the media splashed images of the flooding temples and the visuals where thousands of military servicemen and volunteers were involved in the rescue operations, with air force helicopters plucking survivors from the foothills of the Himalayas ;however it was the aftermath of the floods that are still visible today that shocked me the most.
While the national media focused on the plight of tourists
and the pilgrims in the regions, my hike allowed me to interact with the locals
whose homes and villages were not only
washed off but who also lost key members of their family who join the yatras to
earn a major part of their families income on the hike routes during the
tourist season.
They helped run the dhabas, sell the basic essentials of umbrellas, canes, walking sticks, soft drinks,
water bottles, home-made snacks and other supplies, on their backs or with help
of their ponies they carry children and
the old closer to their faith.
Today the villagers have rebuild their lives and relocated
to higher grounds, but it is the ghost villages with crumbling homes, collapsed
roads once leading to bustling schools
and abandoned paths, that stand as a daunting reminder of the wrath of
nature.
2 comments
So glad to have read your blog. I am bookmarking your content to my Google Chrome. :)
ReplyDeleteCheck out my work as well: Traversing Goa | Goa Diaries
Thanks Lakshaya , I did have a look at your page as well ..superb pics and loved the honesty i each story :)
ReplyDelete