CHENNAI: The largescale loss of lives in the 2013 Uttarakhand floods was not due to wrong forecast or any other mistake on the part of the government, but primarily because of the lack of hazard consciousness among the general public, said secretary of Ministry of Earth Sciences Shailesh Nayak.
“There is a lack of hazard consciousness. In the case of cyclone Hudhud, the response was good and not many lives were lost. But in Uttarakhand, the hazard consciousness of the community was negligent,” said Nayak, speaking to ‘Express’ on the sidelines of a function here. When I tell you that it is going to rain, you will say, ‘Okay, I’ll wear raincoat’. But if I say a cyclone is coming, you may not step out. This hazard consciousness is critical,” Nayak explained.