The document discusses human responsibility for natural disasters through three examples: the 2013 Kedarnath floods in India, the 2014 Kashmir floods, and the 2015 Nepal earthquake. It argues that by destroying the environment and failing to heed warnings, humans are to blame for increased severity and impact of natural disasters. Conservation efforts like tiger reserves have shown positive results, but more must be done to balance development with protecting nature to ensure human and environmental well-being in the future. The key message is that individuals and societies need to change behaviors to save the environment from further damage and reduce impacts of disasters that will otherwise continue to worsen.

1. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE???
“PROCASTINATION IS THE FOUNDATION OF ALL DISASTERS”
- Saurabh Kumar Pathak
Kazau Inshiguro once said, “It was like when you make a move in Chess and
just as you take your finger off the piece, you see the mistake you have made
and there is this panic becauseyou don’tknow yet the scale of disaster you have
left yourself open with.” Same is the case with nature also. We, the human
beings, are blindly destroying them without thinking of its consequences. We
are being alarmed by nature yet we are not awakening. Natural disasters like
Kedarnath tragedy, Kashmir Flood, Nepal Earthquake are warning us at
different intervals.
Kedarnath Flood took place in Uttarakhand in the evening of June16 and
morning of June17, 2013.
This twelve hour rain took many lives. The flood was reported to be to be with
the speed of 17KM downstream. In just 12 hours of natural destruction, more
than 6000 people lost their lives. This period of natural destruction cannot even
stand face to face in front of that period in which we have been playing with
nature since our birth. And in this period it snatched many smiling faces; it
snatched the stories which was to be narrated to an old mother by her sonwho
had gone to seek blessings from Lord Shankar. Even after this our Hon’ble
Ministers, who had earlier passed many tenders for developing these areas and

2. for playing with nature, got themselves captured in cameras holding axes in
their hands and a beautiful smile on their faces. The Kedarnath floods might be
only a small precursorto never have been seen before mega floods.
Even the gates of Kedarnath was not opened when Kashmir Flood took place. It
was September7,2014 when Jhelam River in Sri Nagar turned out to be
disastrous for all those nearby residents as well as our safe guards known as
Military.
This disaster killed 257 people and made 1.1 Million people afraid of their lives.
70 Military Installations was hit by flood. Government of India lost more than
1Lakh crore Rupees in this incident. We all were ready to make 4-lanes
roadways and railways in the hilly regions of Jammu and Kashmir and
construction was also started. So, this destruction can be assumed to be a small
stare of nature towards human beings which made many families apart from
their beloved ones.
“The earthquake happened in one of the world’s most active seismic zones and
it will not be the last to occur”, said Michael Hamlon on the recent inident.

3. The recent and most destructive incident is Nepal Earthquake. I think I need not
to go in deep of this destructive incident as it would be still very clear in my
readers’ mind. But I like to get you acknowledged by some tolls of this
destruction. The Nepal Earthquake took place in the month of April and May
both, one after the other. The earthquake tookplace with the highest magnitude
ever i.e. 7.8. It brutely killed 8,019 people. It made many mothers apart from
their children. The hue and cry of the victims was very loud and painful. It
makes our eyes filled with tears when we watch the photos or videos of the
incident. Although our country and others, too, helped Nepal a lot but if we had
not played with natural things and had been aware of these incidents, 8,019
people would not have lost all their hopes to live; so many people would not
have been begging today; small kids would not have been living on the mercy
of someone. Who is responsible for this natural disaster? Who will take the
responsibility of those children? Who will take care of those old mothers and
fathers? Who will say that he is the one who is going to reconstructNepal in
blinks of eyes? We all would just blame god but we must blame ourselves for
all these disasters.
In contemporary times, animals even dogs and cats don’tfeel safe when they
walk on the street; monkeys are attacking human beings; big cats are being
found in populated areas; snakes are crawling down the feet of people. So many
unwanted things are happening especially in our country where animals are also
worshipped according to Hindu religion. But at the same time we have not left
any place for these animals to stay safe and peacefully. Our Hindu religion
worship Durga Maa, Shankar Jee, Ganesh Jee, Bhairav Baba with great
devotion and dedication. They always keep on visiting temples to seek blessings
from these statues but at the same time they forget to make these Lords’ ride
feel safe. Hats off to our mentality which worship stones and forget about the
living things.
I agree with this fact that making Tiger Reservoirs have been fruitful to our
country as a survey found increase in their numbers.

4. Total tigers in India was found to be 1,706 in the year 2010 where as in the year
2014 it got increased to 2,226. This survey clearly states that if we start
conservation of our green earth, we can reach our aim and can be stable in few
years but if and only if we start it today. Otherwise 20 years down the line, we
won’t be able to feel safe in the ever developing country as the case is with
these trees and animals today.
If we want to bring change in ourselves and society and want to live in peace
then first of all we, the Indians need to controlthis ever increasing population.
Some of our states like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra have population even more
than some of the countries. We are reaching at the top of the world’s most
populous country. Food, shelter and clothing are the basic requirements of every
live form and to provide these basic needs we will have to cut down forests and
be a part of this destruction.
Development of a country is must and for development we need to cut down
trees and forests. I agreed that as per government norms we have to plant two
trees when we cut down one. But this law is not followed by most of us and
even if it is followed then also it is not good for large numbers. Supposewe cut
down 10000 trees from a particular place and planted 20000 trees instead of
them, what do you think, will it be ok? Won’tit bring soil erosion? Will we be
able to depend on those 20000 tiny plants? The answer is blinking in your mind
my dear reader. So we need to develop but development must go hand in hand
with nature and at particular pace. Otherwise we all know that any piece of
work done in ziffy is bound to do nothing but boomrang.

5. Now I would like to put my pen down by saying that we are the one who can
change the world; we are the one who can make our destiny; we are the one
who is responsible for every single natural calamity. So we need to bring a
change and that change is needed in ourselves. Charity begins at home so start
saving nature and being loved by it. If we will save it, we along with our future
generations will be able to enjoy this green and beautiful earth.
“Nobody can stop the natural disasters,
We are the cause and we are the remedy.”
The authoris a studentat Christ University Banglore
as well as an aluminiof Birla VidyamandirNainital
and can be reached at amsaurabh123@gmail.com
The views expressed by the authorare personal.