Ruma and Thanchi were reopened for tourists last month after being closed for a long time. Unfortunately, the tourism industry has once again been hit hard by the recent floods. Several structures including residential hotels have been submerged. As a result, business owners are worried about when these tourist destinations can reopen.
In view of this situation, it is imperative for the government and local administration to immediately provide adequate relief material to the affected population. Financial assistance should also be extended to help repair damaged homes. In addition, there is an urgent need to expedite the process of restoring road connectivity between Thanchi, Ruma and the district town.
It is true that the districts have received excessive rainfall in the early days of August. However, environmentalists claim that the severity of the floods can be attributed to unplanned development, reckless hill cutting and widespread destruction of forests. To reduce the incidence of floods in future, conservation of hills and forests should be given utmost priority in the development efforts. In addition, significant attention should be paid to the protection of the region’s rivers.