The burying alive of 16 persons and the uncertainty hovering over the fate of 14 others missing in a landslide that hit Ulleri village of Dangsing VDC in Kaski district on the fateful night of July 14 once again drives home the point that, with regard to the vagaries of nature, man is indeed helpless. Though man cannot prevent natural disasters like floods, landslides and earthquakes, he can certainly help in minimising the damage caused to human life and property. Army and security personnel with the help of locals, party activists, Maoist cadres and Kaski District Red Cross representatives are doing their level best in rescue operations and search for the missing persons. The Home Ministry and the Kaski District Chief District Office are keeping a close tab on the relief work with additional reinforcements on the way.

The adoption of a disaster preparedness strategy and its timely and effective management is the key to saving a number of precious lives, essential physical infrastructure as well as people’s property from natural calamities that visit Nepal annually. Steps should now be taken to rebuild the destroyed homes and rehabilitate the members of the displaced families who have been lodged at a nearby school. The authorities concerned must now think urgently in terms of providing adequate compensation to the bereaved families to assist them in getting on with their daily lives once again. But most important is the necessity of making the mostly illiterate masses aware of the disastrous consequences of deforestation and the vanishing green belts. Unless the environment is preserved, disasters like the one in reference will continue to wreak havoc with increased ferocity.