We have no hands-on nature, it is beyond human control. We cannot predict the nature and its behaviour and we cannot control it once it starts creating havoc in its surrounding. No scientific and technological developments can exert ultimate control over these natural activities. It is dreadful and life-threatening if you face one such natural calamity. They can occur and everywhere without the slightest alarm. Most of you must have faced such calamities and life threats by nature when you are travelling. That may be a sudden flash flood, an earthquake, a landslide, etc. What do you do then? When you see the river right in front of you swelling up or if you are stuck in between of a live landslide? It does sound very terrible. Since nature is unpredictable and we never know when we are going to face an unforeseen situation the best thing we can do is stay prepared and hold patience. Here are some survival strategies which I would like to point out that you may execute when you are stuck in a landslide during a journey. The reason I have selected a landslide because I have faced a similar situation last year when I was travelling to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh which is a high-risk zone when it comes to landslides and road blockades.
If you are travelling to a higher altitude region than you must remain alert because you never know what nature has kept in store for you. You can read the article on my journey to Tawang, in Arunachal Pradesh HERE.
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Survival Strategies if you are stuck in a landslide during a journey
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1. Fuel your car/any vehicle
When you are travelling to a place which is prone to landslides and other natural disasters I always suggest to refuel your car or the vehicle you are travelling. Even if it is fueled I would insist you to check and re-fuel. It will go handy or save you. In case you get stranded or need to change your direction where there are no petrol pumps or something then this thing will not be a headache for you. Sometime when there is a landslide the police may ask you to halt at a certain place for which you may travel a few kilometres more, in that situation the fuel will let to do that. It should not get exhausted at any such situation.
2. Carry lots of dry food and water
When we got stuck in our way to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh and had to spend 12hours in the car, one thing that helped us was dry packed food like Chocolates, biscuits, some dry sweets, snacks, potato wafers, etc. We knew Arunachal Pradesh is a different terrain and nature is unpredictable. But we had no idea that we would face such a situation. We also had 3-4 litres of water with us. We were three people I, my husband and the driver, so we had enough food for all three of us. When we are travelling in a high-risk zone location or in the mountains its advisable to carry extra food. When you are travelling in the hills you won’t find a single proper place to even have a cup of tea.
3. Pack your first aid kit
This is something we carry we us wherever we go. But in a region of higher altitude, you never know when you will need some first aid. Check the expiry dates of the medicines and ointments before you start your journey. There must be enough cotton and gauge. If you are traveling with someone who has health issues like heart problems that need to be seen to on a regular basis, you may want to bring a portable AED device with you just in case. Make sure you are fully aware of what it does and how you can use it, as well as what the “no shock advised” on your AED device means so you can use it effectively.
4. Careful – Shooting Stones area ahead!
When you will travel to any hilly region you will find many areas a warned as Shooting stone area. The mountains are blasted with dynamite and sometimes the part becomes loose from where stones start falling. If you see any such warning be very careful and look around whether there are any live shooting stones falling. There was an instance our friend told us, that once they were travelling to some place and suddenly a stone fell from a mountain (it was the shooting stone area which they did not notice) and the window glass was open and it hit the head of his mother. But there was nothing to worry as it was a very small piece but it could be dangerous.
5. Carry some extra cash with you
You must always carry extra cash, a small number of notes with you as I am sure you won’t expect to find an ATM in the hills. You never know where you get stranded during a landslide. We had to halt in a hotel in Bombdila when we faced a second nature’s attack upon us when a mountain fell down and closed a total of 500 meters of road. All the ATMs there were either in -” out of order” or “cash not available” mode. We had to spend money for food, lodging bills, fuel, etc. The cash that we carried came quite handy. In some places especially Northeast India the exotic locations are often out of network coverage or the people are not technologically advanced so better remain self-sufficient rather than technologically dependent.
Well, these are some important points to remember that I have pointed out based on my personal experience. My intention is not to scare you but with travelling, you may face some unforeseen situation which I believe you should be equipped with to face. That is the true essence of a journey. Nature is beyond our control but that doesn’t mean we are restricted from enjoying its beauty. Even a beautiful rose has thorns. There will be flaws which may harm us but it is up to us how we handle it and brave it away.
Thanks!!
