Storms in India

Appalling weather in India has claimed over 140 lives. And there is still more of the ferocious winds that are expected. Dust storms are not unusual for this time of year. Winds pick up sands from Iranian deserts and spray them across Pakistan and India at high speed. However, the number of casualties from this week’s sudden storm are astonishing. The crisis relief office in Uttar Pradesh — the worst hit state and home to the iconic Taj Mahal — claims the death toll is the worst from such a storm in the past 20 years. By far the loss of human life and property across much of northern India makes this natural disaster a devastating tragedy for the country.

While warnings had been issued ahead of what is now being called a freak storm, the ferocity took much of the country by absolute surprise. The devastating storm was caused by a confluence of conditions — including extraordinary warm temperatures, high moisture and an unstable atmosphere. Interestingly, India’s monsoon season does not begin for another few weeks, but if the volatile series of storms continue, it may serve to put a spotlight on the country’s growing pollution crisis. After all, fourteen Indian cities are among the world’s 20 most polluted, according to WHO data. Unfortunately, India’s rapid development has come at a price but the leadership in New Delhi refuses to acknowledge the issue. According to an ambitious pledge by Narendra Modi, every citizen will have electricity, and education, health and other benefits, by the end of 2018. But how Modi achieves that is questionable. His plans come at the expense of ignoring India’s contributions as a polluter. The development of what will soon become the most populous nation, matters to the entire world now more than ever. 

Published in The Express Tribune, May 5^th, 2018.

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