Kautilya's Arthashastra contains a maxim on 'Raj Dharma', or the duty of a ruler: ‘Praja sukhe sukham rajnah, prajananam cha hite hitam.’
That is, the ruler's happiness lies in the happiness of people and his welfare lies in the welfare of people. Only a person who has faith in this maxim of Raj Dharma can be sensitive to people's interests during a disaster like a flood. The devastation caused by floods shakes people's sense of trust. When floodwaters break through field boundaries and enter village lanes and homes, fear follows. One sees a lifetime's earnings sinking before one's eyes. There is fear of livestock being swept away, concern for children and the elderly and uncertainty about the next day.
In Uttar Pradesh, which has been grappling with such a crisis for the past few days, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's fulfillment of Raj Dharma has provided great support to the people. Instead of sitting in Lucknow and seeking reports from officials, he himself reached the frontlines and monitored the relief and rescue operations. People felt the government stood with them in this hour of disaster.
In several districts of the state, rivers crossed the danger mark this time, entire villages were submerged in water and thousands of families found themselves on the verge of becoming homeless. At such a time, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath himself stepped forward and took charge of the relief operations. Conducting aerial and ground inspections of the flood-affected areas, he not only assessed the situation but also clearly instructed officials that no negligence in relief efforts would be tolerated. The active involvement of a leader not only boosts the morale of officials and employees, but also encourages them to engage in the effort on a war footing. This was also evident when, along with the NDRF and SDRF teams, senior district administration officials entered the waters wearing life jackets and led the rescue operations. This scene also carries deep significance because, until a decade ago, when faced with such a severe disaster, a strange gleam would appear on officials' faces. Opportunities for loot and embezzlement would become visible in the name of flood relief, while the governments of that time would also remain mute spectators.
Despite the severity of the floods in Uttar Pradesh, the pleasant and reassuring fact is that so far there has been not a single human or animal casualty. This is the result of well-planned preparations for dealing with floods and carrying out relief operations. During July-August, more than 591 crore alert messages were sent by the Relief Commissioner’s Office, which alerted lakhs of people in time about the weather and the possible threat of floods. This alert system proved life-saving. Timely information about river water levels and weather warnings enabled people themselves to move towards safer places. This foresight is what makes any disaster management effort successful. In the same series, the 1070 helpline also emerged as a major source of support. As soon as calls were received from people stranded in the floods, their precise locations were obtained and the district administration and NDRF-SDRF teams were immediately sent to the spot. Government remained constantly watchful of every weather warning, keeping the response time to a minimum. This vigilance has made Uttar Pradesh an example for the country in flood management.
When figures are connected with human lives, every number represents a face, a family and a story. Under the relief campaign, the government has so far moved around 20,000 people to safe locations. This figure shows that the rescue campaign was not merely a formality. It was conducted on a war footing. Keeping in mind the need to provide food to affected families, government has so far distributed more than six lakh lunch packets and more than one lakh flood relief kits. Only someone who has been through such a situation can understand how much support it is for a flood-affected family to receive food and essential materials.
Relief was not limited to food and shelter. The biggest threat after a flood is water-borne diseases and the government also paid serious attention to this aspect. Lakhs of chlorine tablets and ORS packets were distributed to protect people from diseases caused by contaminated water and diarrhea. Ministers in charge were deployed in the affected districts and assigned responsibility for distributing relief material, ensuring monitoring and accountability at the ministerial level as well. This entire mechanism shows that the Yogi government has treated the disaster as a priority of political leadership.
In a democracy, accountability is reassessed every hour of crisis. In the floods in Uttar Pradesh, the manner in which government worked by integrating the alert system, helpline, rescue operations and relief distribution, all together, is also evidence of the emergence of a sensitive work culture at the administrative level. This year's floods have conveyed the message that if the government, administration and technology work together, casualties can be brought down to zero even in the most severe natural disaster.
(Views are personal)
Hari Mangal is a Senior Journalist.