The Hindu : Opinion / Letters to the Editor : It is a first

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 28, 2004

Opinion

Opinion - Letters to the Editor

It is a first

Sir, — Though India has faced the nature's wrath in the form of floods and earthquakes in the past, this is the first time a tsunami of such a magnitude has played havoc.

It should be understood that it takes time for the authorities to come to grips with such a situation. The area hit is vast, we are facing a calamity of such magnitude for the first time and it takes time to put the relief measures in place. It is not the time to score points or criticise the Government.

N. Ramakrishnan,
Chennai

* * *

Sir, — The lessons to be learnt from Sunday's disaster are: do not believe that natural disasters like earthquakes can be predicted; there is no mechanism that can pinpoint the time/date/place of a quake; release of stresses causing major earthquakes occurring along the geo-tectonically active and well-known Indonesian Island Arc can also result in sympathetic release of stresses in the near and far contiguous areas, simultaneously or with some time-gap and, therefore, those residing along the east coast of India should be alert to such global happenings.

V. Natarajan,
Chennai

* * *

Sir, — It is one of the worst tragedies inflicted on mankind by nature. At this critical juncture, we should stand together to support the people who have lost their all.

R. Madhavan,
Salem, T.N.

* * *

Sir, — Present day lifestyle increases the chances of such catastrophes, though they are natural calamities and no one can tell when they will strike. The sucking of groundwater by borewells and construction of multi-storey buildings make us more vulnerable when faced with such disasters. Planting more trees, conserving water, controlling pollution and adopting a more eco-friendly lifestyle can help mitigate our suffering.

P.K. Hari Ram Narayanan,
Chennai

* * *

Sir, — The depletion of groundwater will make our country more prone to earthquakes, though it is not a quake-prone region. Measures such as recharging of groundwater and the planting of trees should be undertaken.

S. Srinivasan,
Chennai

* * *

Sir, — Most people did not even know what a tsunami was till Sunday. As the days pass, we hope it does not become a statistic and a lesson is learnt. The tragedy is a reminder of the fact that one has no control over nature and when it strikes, everyone is left helpless.

Pranav Sachdeva,
New Delhi

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