The study on “natural disasters” and identifying any potential involvement of a “enemy country” was demanded by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday. He ruled out the possibility that they were merely a result of bad weather and claimed they had something to do with national security. Speaking on Friday, Singh was at a function in Joshimath, in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. The Border Road Organization (BRO) built 35 infrastructure projects across seven states, which the Raksha Mantri inaugurated during his visit to the district.
He said it has been noticed that certain border states such as Uttarakhand, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim saw an increase in the number of natural disasters in recent years.
The Himalayas extend to other states as well, but such incidents are confined to certain states only, the Defence Minister said, adding that many experts believe that these natural disasters are an outcome of climate change.
Expressing concerns over shifting weather patterns, the Raksha Mantri said, “Climate change in the country is not just a weather-related phenomenon but is related to national security. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has taken it very seriously and will seek help from friendly countries in probing the involvement of any enemy country, if any.”
Singh also raised concerns over migration from the bordering district of Uttarakhand.
There has been a large number of migrations from the border areas in Uttarakhand which is a matter of concern, he said.