T S Eliot begins his most famous poem with the lines, ‘April is the cruellest month.’ I wonder where that leaves July this year. Could July be the cruellest month instead? July has begun as a very sad month. Floods devastating houses, landscapes and people’s lives. The Texas flash flood on the 4th of July where the water level rose, in minutes, to the height of two storied houses (as the media describes it) are a very high point of tragedy. So many young lives taken, so many bodies not recovered, and the fate of many still unknown. The grief the families of the dead and the missing must be going through is unimaginable. Each time a body is recovered, there is a sense of closure for the surviving family members. But it is the height of tragedy to lose family members in this manner. In the middle of the American natural catastrophe, there have been a few stories of survivors that give a little light in the devastation. But it is going to take a long time for this wound to heal. And closer home, the Dimapur floods makes this danger very real. The devastation of the ones who are going through the calamity, and the loss of lives makes our hearts bleed. Excellent coverage by channels like Global Window show the extent of human suffering among our people. It is heart breaking to see, and at the end of the reports, one question raises its head and will not be quieted. How to prevent further disasters? In the old town of Siliguri, many houses are built on stilts to protect against elephants. In the distant past, when Siliguri was not densely populated, the first settlers built their houses on stilts. It gave elephant herds an unhindered passage to cross over from one side of the forest to the other side. Our guide said that the pachyderms would march under the houses between the stilts. The architecture protected the human population from being harmed by the elephant progress through ancient paths. Maybe constructing houses on stilts in low lying areas of Dimapur might prove effective against flooding. The real answer is, of course, keeping the drainage system cleared and functioning as the best preventive measure against future floods. Nature is not predictable; that is the mistake people make. Hopefully, we will learn to be better prepared next season. Calamities of this nature, especially when manmade in origin, show the importance of town planning and municipal control. In Meghalaya, some good laws have prevailed for a long time and private land owners still have to take permission from the city council if they want to cut down a tree on their land. This has been the case for many decades. Probably dating back to colonial times. But it is good that a local authority has say over the landscape. The control becomes crucial in deciding how land is to be used, even by the owners. The purpose of municipal control is to ensure safety for all the inhabitants. Prevention of loss and damage from natural phenomena would be uppermost in these decisions. In Gangtok, keeping the topography and soil quality in mind, house construction has come under strict supervision. Checks on ‘stability zones’ are very important under the house construction laws. For a time, prohibition was imposed. The existing law says, ‘Construction projects have to compulsorily submit blueprint plans for approval to the Urban Development Department or Gangtok Municipal Corporation.’ This is something we could also copy and implement. Prevention is better than cure where in some cases cure is not even applicable. Last winter, we drove on the old Darjeeling road and saw the huge chunk of road that had fallen away many meters below. Our earth is undoubtedly fragile, especially in the Northeast. We have to respect it if we want stability. The frightening thing about property that is swept away by flood waters, be it houses, or movable items, is that it is irretrievable. In the midst of all the tragedy, let us not forget to bless the souls who are coming to the aid of the displaced by bringing them cooked food and necessary items. The beautiful spirit of our people is best seen at times like this. Long may it be so.
