Kedarnath: Much to do
The resumption of prayers and rituals at Kedarnath, after the shrine was devastated by floods and landslips of an intensity not seen in hundreds of years, must give the faithful much satisfaction.
Miraculously, the 6th century temple suffered only minor damage amid the carnage all around, thanks partly to a huge boulder that got stuck behind it, diverting water flow in the raging Mandakini. Fittingly, gratitude was expressed to the rock before priests entered the sanctum sanctorum.
It will take much longer for the Uttarakhand government to set right the road infrastructure for pilgrims to go on the Char Dham Yatra again, but those desiring to visit the high-altitude shrines can now live in hope. Nature’s ways are so mysterious that it’s not possible to get a fix on what exactly triggered the large-scale destruction, even if the extraordinary amount of rainfall in a short time appears to be the main cause.
The suspicion is that man contributed liberally to the region’s general degradation thanks to callous building construction without caring for the fragile ecology of the region. Considering the sensitivity of the remote area, people should ensure that no further damage is caused to the environment.
While relief work was done on a war footing and liberal compensation given for the loss of lives, the Vijay Bahuguna government would do well to publicise what exactly is being done about reconstruction and also spell out geo-engineering policies that may help secure the future of a region venerated by most Hindus.
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