Chamoli, Wayanad disasters were avoidable: NDMA report

NEW DELHI:: The 2021 Chamoli avalanche highlighted the inadequacy of conventional project assessment methodologies in the Himalayan region, and the 2024 Wayanad landslides flagged gaps in long-term risk reduction planning and community preparedness measures, the National Disaster Management Authority said ina compilation of recent disasters.

- Neeraj Chauhan and Jayashree Nandi

The compilation, released recently, suggests that these , and some of the other disasters included were preventable - for instance, it says the Silkyara tunnel's troubled construction history provided numerous warning signals that were inadequately addressed before the 2023 collapse -- and also serves as a reminder of the human cost.

In the case of the 2021 Chamoli disaster, of the 204 feared dead, only 77 deaths could be confirmed. The remaining 127 people are classified as missing. And in the Wayanad landslides, 225 deaths have been confirmed but 138 individuals are still listed as missing. Apart from legal complications, this also means a lack of closure for the affected families.