Continuous rainfall that has been going on for more than a week has resulted in widespread disruption of normal life throughout the length and breadth of Arunachal Pradesh. Under such conditions when nature is at her furious best, it is also a testing time for governance to prove their mettle in pulling these huge segments of marooned and hapless people out of agony. It is also a time when many loopholes in the civic infrastructural mechanism, both in urban and rural areas get exposed. This time too many such lacunae have begun to get visible starkly sending messages that there is an immediate need for their mending on a long-term perspective.

The most immediate example in hand must be Pasighat, the century-old town which aspires to be a Smart City. According to the news that are getting flashed across media, the town is still grappling with the after-effects of the initial phase of this year’s monsoon. Waterlogging in many parts is the biggest cause of angst among the residents who have been forced to remain in ‘captivity’ for an indefinite period of time, besides disruption of water supply. Fear has also multiplied as five cases of Japanese Encephalitis have been reported in East Siang district alone and there is a widespread apprehension that continued water stagnation may altogether become a smart breeding ground of the carrier mosquitoes of JE besides malaria and dengue. It will thus be a challenging task for the administration to rescue these people from this current stalemate, since the existing infrastructures are still far from to be termed as ‘smart’. Not only Pasighat, large number of districts are yet to return to normal life with more or less similar woes. The tragic deaths of two school girls in Tawang district due to collapse of hostel wall has also shown that it is high time to pay due attention and review the viability and capabilities of these old and worn-out structures in face of nature’s fury. That the power infrastructure in many remote pockets of the state is still to come of age is apparent from the fact that it had taken six days at Anini in Dibang Valley district for restoration of electricity. Lohit, Lower Dibang Valley, Namsai had similar tales of agony too.

Floods, flash floods, landslides and many more alike are the inescapable realities for Arunachal. Although the administration is trying their best with all available resources, truth is that they are all ad hoc in nature. For long term solutions, the need for a multipronged approach towards flood and disaster management must now be felt by all stakeholders. If it is taken with seriousness, only then we can expect more hassle free monsoons in the coming years.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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