There seems to be no end to the fury which nature first unleashed on Nepal on April 25th. The cataclysmic earthquake left permanent scars on the nation's body and spirit. More than 2,000 aftershocks kept the terror clock ticking. And when things seemed to be settling down a bit, heavy rains triggered minor and major landslides and mud-laden flash floods, causing loss of life and property. A 4.6 point jolt, with its epicenter in Kathmandu on July 22, once again evoked anxiety and fear. The fragile environment and ecology is playing havoc in almost all parts of the country.Having somehow weathered the trauma of the great temblor, one feels that things are gradually falling into place. Global donors have been considerate enough to pledge US $4.4 billion in aid for reconstruction of our ravaged nation. The recently announced budget too has dedicated itself to the mammoth task of rehabilitation and reconstruction. One hopes, as the donors insisted, every penny of the donated funds will be spent wisely and transparently.
However, the civic society too has a big role to play. It has to rise above room discussions and come up with practical suggestions that lend permanence and sustainability to all environment and ecology-related activities. Band-aid approach would do no good. Efforts to tackle the root cause of environmental challenges need to be accorded top priority. To this end, examples and lessons should be welcomed from all quarters.
Remember how utter chaos prevailed when the April 25th quake and hundreds of aftershocks kept us on tenterhooks for a painfully long period. Disaster management, it then seemed, was yet another neglected aspect in Nepal. We woke up when the wolf was tearing down our tattered doors.
The utter numbness of the official machinery seemed to break only after help started pouring in from our resourceful neighbors and international agencies. However, we were not even prepared to make best use of the much needed assistance. But for the intervention of the Nepal Army we would have been in a worse shape. Do we want the sorry scenario to be replayed, God forbid, even if a comparably minor crisis like the current floods and mudslides occur?
The new Disaster Management Act is awaiting discussion in Parliament. I suggest that we strike at the root cause of disasters—wanton vandalism of the nation's environment and ecology.
To manage our ecology and nature better, we urgently need to set up Ecological Task Forces (ETFs) involving ex-servicemen in the army and police. These units can restore degraded eco-systems, manage water resources and conserve soil through afforestation, reforestation and other eco-development techniques in remote and difficult areas. Healthy ecology prevents natural disasters and mitigates their impact on people and property.
Manned by trained and disciplined ex-servicemen, ETFs can also play a pivotal role in restoration of damaged dwellings, roads and other infrastructure and generate employment for former soldiers.
This is not a Utopian idea. It is being practiced in India since 1982. According to India's reputable think-tank Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA), "ETF is a low-cost, high-performance concept. In Nepal, the dedicated ex-servicemen are a national asset. Thus, if suitable funding is provided by the international community through the UN, ecological reconstruction of Nepal can begin in an organized manner by Nepali ETF..."
Fortunately, there is no dearth of trained and disciplined former soldiers in Nepal. Based on the country's specific needs and region-centric surveys, the government can raise ETF units comprising Nepali-descent ex-servicemen of the Indian Army, former soldiers of Nepal Army, para-military, the police and, perhaps, Maoist insurgents who entered mainstream by joining the country's armed forces.
As repair and reconstruction of infrastructure are the nation's top priority at present, Nepal's ETF will need to enlist personnel with engineering background. For sustained development, we should be prepared to run the scheme for at least 10 years. (India has added units to its ETF and not disbanded any so far.) ETF units can be moved from one project to another as per a long-term plan or in case of emergencies.
"The Greening Army of the World", as Indian ETF has come to be known, can do wonders in tackling ecological degradation and reviving flora and fauna in areas devastated by human activities. ETF units have successfully restored ecological imbalance in India's mountains, plains and even desert areas.
According to IDSA, the budget to raise and employ an ETF is shared by the state government and the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) of the Union Government. Exceptions include the ETF of the Union Territory of Delhi and Himachal Pradesh which are fully financed by the state governments themselves. Two ETF units in Assam on the other hand are financed fully by the MoEFCC. The rough cost of an ETF put together for eight months in a year is INRs 1.83 crores for five years (2006 figures). Nepal will need to devise its own budgetary mechanism.
To create and deploy an ETF, we will need to identify and prioritize problems of environmental degradation which warrant military-type discipline, dedication and training. The presence of adequate number of ex-servicemen in the region concerned is essential. Budgetary support for the exercise will call for political will. Bureaucracy will also have to put its best foot forward to ensure smooth civil-military interface.
In a nutshell, almost all organs of the government will need to work together to make the experiment a success. The April 25th earthquake has awakened Nepal to the reality and necessity of ecological balance and concerted action. Different arms of the government and the people now realize the enormity of the challenge they face. With many of our hill slopes denuded of greenery and vegetation, thanks to human greed, we have made our environment precariously fragile. This has affected the climate adversely and made it unreliable. Our environment is hardly equipped to face even minor natural disturbances. And we are responsible for it.
Therefore, we, the people and the government of Nepal, need to work towards the restoration of ecology. It will be a long haul because the environmental degradation is widespread. But that will be a small price to pay for a long and healthy life in the lap of a rejuvenated nature.
The author is poet, writer and Founder of Basant Chaudhary Foundation
Related story
Govt task force proposes to provide professional license for dr...
