A dramatic scene was witnessed on the highway to Badrinath near Uttarakhand in the notorious landslide zone of Bhanerpani, where a pedestrian made it narrowly on time to avoid falling rocks. A video recording of the incident has played out online, whereby the man could be seen dashing amidst the melee of boulders rolling over itself. The present footage emphasizes the constant perils to the travellers in the landslides-prone region of the state, which is most vulnerable during the time of monsoons, when the occurrence of such events is maximum.
Two pedestrians recklessly crossed the concerned area several times despite warnings raised by the residents and the authorities. The region had already been noted as dangerous, as rock would fall just after recent warnings had been sounded on safety whistles. Possessing great agility and quick thought, the person in turn was able to get across to the opposite side and arrived there uninjured by his efforts, causing those around him to be well pleased and to marvel greatly.
The Badrinath road is an important passageway for pilgrims, local traffic and tourists. Being in the hilly terrains of Uttarakhand makes it topically vulnerable to natural hazards, such as landslides, rockfalls, etc. The rain in the monsoons tends to wash deep soil and rocks along the slopes, posing possible dangerous effects to those who find themselves in such areas. Incidents such as these point to the need to have increased vigilance, as well as preventive safety procedures in landslide-prone areas.
Officials have repeatedly cautioned against the hazard of places such as Bhanerpani, advising people to listen to advisories meant to send people out of unsafe or closed areas. Nevertheless, some pedestrians and motorists risk going through vulnerable territory despite these measures, thereby creating more chances of accidents. Compared to frequent close calls, experts say that the regular implementation of road closures and the use of barriers to prevent such instances can greatly minimize the occurrence of such close calls.
This incident is just another trend in landslide-related accidents in Uttarakhand. In recent days, there have been numerous accidents, some involving injuries and fatalities. Such repetitive incidents point up the necessity of upgrading infrastructure, validation, and emergency preparedness to manage and protect the inhabitants and travellers.
The viral video has provided a discussion on safety and awareness in the area on social media. Although the pedestrian luckily got away, it is an eye-opener on the life-threatening dangers of natural hazards in hilly terrains. Law enforcers and residents are demanding more focus on the management of landslides, better safety guarding and sensitization to users to reduce the number of people killed by landslides.
