By Ankit Thapa
Everyone knows that disasters strike at unpredictable times in all parts of the world. They may come in the form of aircraft crashes, road accidents or natural calamities such as earthquakes, floods, landslides and avalanches.
An impoverished country like Nepal, with its difficult terrain, has witnessed all such tragedies. Thousands of people, whether rich or poor, have suffered in one way or another. Take, for example, the recent floods and landslides in several places, where hundreds of people died and thousands are still missing. Many others have been displaced and are unable to access basic facilities and essential items such as medicines that they need to take regularly.
This sort of calamity was least expected when the monsoon was neither particularly heavy nor harsh. But once again, we all saw the shortcomings of both political leaders and other authorities in dealing with this disaster. This author has no complaint against Prime Minister Balen Shah, but it was not only tragic but almost laughable that government authorities merely sat in meetings when floods were already expected to enter some areas. This caused further misery to thousands of people who died, were injured, displaced or stranded.
Just sitting in meetings, issuing orders and keeping a few Nepal Army helicopters that can hardly carry half a dozen people is simply not enough. This author has repeatedly suggested that there should be a permanent unit comprising the Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force, along with a few civil servants that remains alert and ready to move immediately in the event of an emergency.
The worst part of the tragedies that have occurred in Nepal is that, although they may not have been completely avoidable, their impact could have been considerably reduced if we had such an organisation. INGOs and NGOs, along with other volunteers, could also contribute to providing relief, but they should not do so at the behest of foreign powers. In some cases, there have been allegations that such organisations have failed to fully assist victims and have instead misused or diverted funds for their own benefit.
While it may be in the interest of bigger powers and richer nations to try to fulfil their agendas in weaker countries like Nepal, we should never forget that some Nepalese themselves are the real traitors, creating devastation in various sectors and taking advantage of disasters that have shocked many Nepalese, even those who were not directly affected.
It is being said in the media that the present government has responded well to this unexpected disaster. But, as mentioned earlier, there have also been quite a few mistakes on the part of the government. It was completely ill-prepared for this unfortunate disaster, which shook the entire nation. As in the past, it was primarily the security forces that were placed on the front lines, not only in preventing such incidents but also in carrying out rescue and relief operations afterwards.
As I have mentioned here and many times before, there should be an autonomous government division with a permanent unit dedicated to dealing with such situations. Of course, members of the security forces should also be included in such a division. But it should also include civil servants to coordinate operations and specialists to provide guidance to those actually working on the front lines.
Apart from the many unsuspecting citizens who lost their lives, it was also very sad to hear that many rescuers died while performing their duties, while others are still out of contact. That is why this author has repeatedly suggested that rescuers must not only be trained throughout the year but also be properly equipped. Naturally, being well equipped also means having access to appropriate technology to support them in their work.
That is one major setback we have witnessed in the present tragedy that struck the nation.
For example, Chinese experts have been able not only to enter tunnels but also to collect DNA samples, and this was possible because they had advanced technology to support their work. It was also heartening to hear that Muslims in Bangladesh prayed in their mosques to express condolences for the flood victims. Various other sectors also expressed solidarity, including two famous Spanish football teams that mourned the tragic incident, along with many others who expressed their sympathy for the people of Nepal.
After every such tragedy, almost everyone says—especially Nepalese political leaders—that we must learn a lesson from such incidents. But these lessons are often forgotten very quickly. This time, too, leaders and government-employed experts are saying the same thing. However, apart from the security forces, we saw little participation from the government as a whole or from the so-called experts in disaster prevention, preparedness, rescue and relief operations.
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