Floods, landslides, cloudbursts, and other natural calamities have ravaged large parts of North and North-Western India over the past few weeks. Punjab in particular, is bearing the brunt of massive floods that have hit hundreds of villages and towns. A fierce monsoon is still lashing the state and the region. Himachal Pradesh is again grappling with landslides, collapsed bridges and stranded tourists. In J&K, flooding has displaced thousands, aggravating its fragile social and economic fabric. Many rivers, including Ravi and Beas, are on danger mark. The heavy rains and flooding across AP and Telangana this season underline how extreme weather interacts with governance. The frequency and intensity of these disasters present a compelling case for the administrators to switch to a preventive approach. For decades, deforestation and encroachment of forests, destruction of rivers and water bodies and blocking of the natural courses of water have all led to the spate of disasters the region is witnessing now. This catastrophe must serve as a wake-up call. Urgent action is the need of hour, else, floods will keep writing the obituary of our future.
