Northeast Desk, 30th October: Former India football captain Bhaichung Bhutia, on October 30, delivered a scathing critique of Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, holding him responsible for the Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) that resulted in devastating flash floods on October 4.
Bhutia alleged that despite repeated warnings from various researchers and organizations, the government had neglected the looming threat of the glacial lake’s outburst, leading to a catastrophe that had severe consequences for the state.
Expressing his frustration, Bhaichung Bhutia stated, “You should look at the time when the disaster happened… the Chief Minister’s statements have been changing every day. From 2008 until today, there have been numerous warnings from the Government of India, the Disaster Management Department, and scientists. They repeatedly cautioned that the Lhonak Lake was in danger. Even the Government of India sanctioned 20 crore funds to the state government to prevent this disaster. Despite all this, the disaster happened.”
He went on to criticize the Chief Minister’s response to the crisis, saying, “Even after the disaster happened, the Chief Minister, in a press conference, claimed that he received information about the disaster at 10:40 am, while the army had informed the headquarters at 10:30 am. In another press conference, the Chief Minister stated that he got the information at 11:40 am. This indicates that he received the information at 10:30 am and continued to engage in public interactions, like the ‘Janta Darbar,’ until 11:30 am. In the face of a natural disaster and flooding, the Chief Minister’s primary response should have been to initiate swift rescue operations.”
Bhaichung Bhutia emphasized the importance of quick communication in the digital age, stating, “In social media, it takes only 10 minutes to inform people. This government is so incompetent and irresponsible.”
In a pointed remark directed at the Chief Minister, Bhutia questioned the timing and nature of his statements, saying, “Flooding and dam burst… with no research… with no investigation… you went to the media saying that the construction quality was bad. Who told you that and at what time did you investigate? Which engineer informed him? Why go into politics during such periods when everybody is suffering? It was a time for everybody to come together, but you tried to take cheap mileage out of the entire flood victims, which is so wrong.”