Has your phone been buzzing lately with NDMA’s warning messages too?

The number of heavy rainfall alerts is on the rise in the Himalayan Region. NDMA’s alert system (Sachet) for early warning through the Cell Broadcasting System responds to rising disaster risks. But, what has caused this rise? How are governments and citizens responding to these?

IMD's red alerts for Uttarakhand on July 7 led to a temporary suspension of Chardham Yatra. Consequently, around 3000 tourists were stranded in Badrinath, Hemkund and Auli. Road widening and tunneling caused land subsidence in Joshimath in 2023 following which citizens were evacuated. In Sikkim, 40 people lost their lives while others lost their homes in between Chungthang to Rangpo due to Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF). In May 2024, Aizawl also witnessed 28 deaths.

Uttarakhand has only one town planner against the requirement of twenty six. Such a lack of trained professionals makes hill towns prone to disasters adding to fragile geography, haphazard construction, and increased tourism. Despite SC’s mandate for Master Plans and carrying capacity studies, these towns still lack them. It was only after NGT’s order, that Shimla banned construction in core green areas and restricted building heights in non-core and sinking zones.

Assam’s Flood Early Warning System provides warnings in magnitude, locations and embankment status in response to recurring floods. Cachar’s AI-powered app, Rapid Action for Humanitarian Assistance in Tragedies (RAHAT) helps connect people, security forces, and government. It shares info for early warning, evacuation, search and rescue. Despite the centre’s efforts and Gratuitous Relief, people in these regions fail to recover before a new cycle of disaster sets in.

Using bioengineering techniques (planting vegetation within walls), a community in Nog, Himachal Pradesh helped the local govt minimise landslides. Citizen groups like People for Himalaya comprising 65 NGOs from all hill states work for the Himalayan natural heritage. Similarly, Dehradun’s Anoop Nautiyal, Gangtok’s Kailash Pradhan, and Darjeeling’s Animesh Bose advocate for comprehensive plans with citizen inputs to foster sustainable development.

How does your local govt respond to disasters? Are there any community-led efforts to respond to these disaster risks?