‘Need to find out if enemies involved in rise of natural disasters in border states’

DEHRADUN: Expressing concern over the rising number of natural disasters in some border states and Union Territories, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said there is a need for a detailed study to find out if India’s adversaries are behind it.

Climate change is no longer just a weather-related phenomenon but is also linked to national security, he said.

He was addressing a gathering in the Dhak village near Joshimath after inaugurating a bridge and 34 other border area infrastructure projects implemented by the Border Roads Organisation at Rs 670 crore for different states.

“The frequency of natural disasters has risen in some states and Union Territories like Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Ladakh. Experts believe it is linked with climate change. But I think a study needs to be conducted to find if there is also a role of our adversaries in it,” Singh said, without naming any country.

“We feel the subject deserves a detailed study for which the help of friendly countries can also be taken if needed,” he said.

He said the Modi government’s approach to the development of border area infrastructure is different from the approach of previous governments.

“We do not treat border areas as buffer zones. For us they are part of our mainstream. We want to go on our development journey from the seas to the borders,” he said.