By Ranjona Banerji
Media coverage of the Joshimath disaster has been largely about the human factor. And about the facts surrounding the recent developments of cracks in homes in this mountain town of Uttarakhand. And yet, the story of Joshimath is not new, it is not unexpected. It was foretold. The 2021 Chamoli glacier burst once more underlined the horrors awaiting this historic town, known as the gateway to the shrine of Badrinath.
A conversation with Joshimath resident activist Atul Sati early last year underlined what Joshimath is going through, sandwiched as it is between two hydropower plants, both of which suffered damage during the 2021 Chamoli incident. Sati has been consistent in his warnings. If only anyone was willing to listen. This column has consistently tried to draw media attention to Joshimath’s problems.
Veteran environmentalist Ravi Chopra lists the dangers of unbridled, greedy “development” in the fragile Himalayas in this interview to Down to Earth.
https://www.downtoearth.org.in/interviews/natural-disasters/ravi-chopra-on-joshimath-nature-has-decided-that-enough-is-enough–87000
Chopra has been vociferous and consistent in his objections to development without adequate environmental impact assessments. For this, he and his family were attacked by government supporters and their pet poodle media outlets, and his warnings were ignored by the government to the extent that he resigned from the High-Powered Committee to monitor the Char Dham Yatra. The mainstream media did not bother much then either. The threat of collapsing mountains is not really TV’s style.
Until they actually collapse.
Now I read fiery editorials about reckless development and about “exhaustive coverage” on TV.
Last year, I stood with protestors in the forests around Dehradun to protest against a plan to cut thousands of trees to widen the roads into Dehradun. One young TV reporter was sent to cover the protests. In an argument with fiery young protestors, she pleaded that she cannot do more than what her editor tells her to do. In that sense, it was a miracle that she was even there. To be fair however, newspapers and particularly the local Times of India have been regular in their coverage of the environment. Sadly, almost nothing reaches the national media.
Anyway, almost every recent citizens’ protest to save the forests and environment in Uttarakhand has failed so there is not much of a story to be told anyway.
The reason is not far to seek and it underlies all these issues. Including the collapse of the town of Joshimath.
Obviously, the media is not to blame.
But the media has to bear responsibility for the paucity of coverage. And here we reach the crux of everything that has gone wrong with the media for the last nine years.
Why has Joshimath collapsed?
Why did no one listen to the warnings?
Why have geologists who work for government institutions been silenced?
Because of the road which the government wants built through the mountains.
The road that is the great desire of our Main Politician.
The road that moves mountains and is now destroying a town.
And that is why the media has gone slow on Joshimath. And even now will not question Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the bureaucrats around him, the Environment Ministry and the courts. When the government stood in court and deftly changed the reason for the Char Dham Yatra road from religious tourism to defence, no one questioned it. The government knew that national security is a neat reasoning, because it is impregnable as a defence for any response. Now when the Himalayas are collapsing, what exactly are we defending?
And clearly, we must not mention how China has already infiltrated various other areas. Because there’s national security and there’s national security. Shhh…
Reports will tell you that the PM is involved in some “high level” meetings about Joshimath. No further questions please.
And there we have it. The environment is at the bottom of our priority list with this government and we know it. The evidence stares at us in the face. Recently Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari promised tourists to Uttarakhand even more roads.
Until we are honest and discuss, as journalists, with our readers and viewers why the town of Joshimath is sinking we are still lost in Adulation Wonderland.
You can bid the Himalayas goodbye now.
Ranjona Banerji is a senior journalist and commentator. She writes on MxMIndia on Tuesdays and Fridays. Her views here are personal.