Heavy constructions aggravated Uttarakhand devastation

DEHRADUN: The devastation on June 16-17 last year in Uttarakhand was aggravated manifold due to heavy constructions and infrastructure-led development in the hill state, says a new report.

Titled 'Uttarakhand: Development and Ecological Sustainability' by environmentalist Ravi Chopra, the report calls for long-term measures to create a development model that is environmentally sustainable and not just focused on construction and commercialisation along riverbanks in Uttarakhand.

With an insight into the state's development approach and its vulnerability to climate change, especially from the viewpoint of the community, the report provides detailed recommendations.

These include focusing on ecological sustainability, equitable livelihood development, sustainable infrastructure and disaster preparedness among others.

" Oxfam India endorses the findings of the report, which calls for a more people-centred green development path that is based on a holistic understanding of the state's environmental reality as a hill state.

"We believe that while disasters might be natural, the scale and severity of their impact on communities' lives and livelihoods depend on how well we prepare and respond to them," said Nisha Agrawal, CEO of the NGO at a consultation held at Dehradun's Forest Research Institute (FRI) campus.