Mana Avalanche: Eight Workers Killed, 46 Rescued—Who’s Responsible for This Preventable Tragedy?
SHIMLA/CHAMOLI– Another avalanche, another tragedy. This time, eight workers lost their lives in the high-altitude Mana region of Uttarakhand.
A three-day-long rescue operation, led by the Indian Army, Indian Air Force (IAF), and state disaster response teams, managed to save 46 others.
The mortal remains of the ill-fated eight workers were also retrieved from the wreckage site today.
But the bigger question remains—was this disaster avoidable?
Where Were the Warnings?
The avalanche struck at a Border Roads Organisation (BRO) project site, where workers were engaged in road-widening operations.
With modern satellite technology, avalanche forecasting tools, and real-time weather monitoring, why wasn’t there a proper alert?
Second, why did BRO deploy workers when the risk of avalanches was there?
The Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE), India Meteorological Department (IMD), and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) are responsible for predicting such disasters.
If they failed to warn workers in time, then aren’t they equally responsible for these deaths?
Every year, soldiers, workers, and trekkers die in avalanches across the Himalayas.
Yet, we continue to rely on slow and outdated warning systems.
This is not an isolated incident. The Himalayas have seen multiple avalanche disasters in recent years.
October 2022: A deadly avalanche struck Draupadi Ka Danda peak in Uttarakhand, killing 27 trainee mountaineers.
April 2023: A snowstorm in Sikkim’s Nathula Pass left seven tourists dead.
February 2021: A massive glacier burst in Chamoli led to over 200 deaths and wiped out two hydropower projects.
November 2019: Four soldiers were killed in an avalanche near Siachen Glacier, one of the most avalanche-prone regions in the world.
Lives Lost, Questions Remain
If these disasters are so frequent, why aren’t we better prepared?
Despite past tragedies, SASE and IMD have failed to create an effective early warning system.
BRO and state authorities continue work in high-risk areas without proper avalanche safety measures. Workers and soldiers remain at risk, year after year.
This is not just about one avalanche in Mana. This is about a system that refuses to learn from past mistakes.
READER'S COMMENTS;
Loss of lives of these dedicated workers,working under the most inclement and severe weather and topographical conditions, is indeed tragic.
Those in the BRO have done some of the most impossible road building and construction jobs making it possible for us to access these remote mountainous regions and helping our defence forces to counter Chinese ingress and aggression. They ARE the real Hero's.
We need to streamline further our earlier warning systems so that countless lives are not lost. The effort of the rescue missions is, without doubt, laudable.
When human beings start to tamper with and destroy nature, it strikes back, unsparing and unforgiving. Lessons to be learnt
-Major(Retd) Vijay Singh Mankotia, (Sword of Honour).
