The Guardian quotes Takshashila's Pavan Srinath

The Guardian quotes Takshashila’s policy research manager on whether the Uttarakhand disaster was man made. Indians question how far flash-flooding disaster was manmadeBut most analysts believe restricting the number of pilgrims would be political suicide. "The desire to worship at Kedarnath is almost like an irresistible force," said Pavan Srinath, of the Chennai-based think tank Takshashila Foundation. "Despite the tragedy, people are already talking about when they will undertake the sacred journey. No government can bar the devout from the Himalayas."… Srinath maintains that the devastation would have been even more widespread if the reservoir of the region's biggest dam at Tehri had not contained a significant volume of the deluge. "Dams can also prevent disasters," he said. "The critical issue is not dams, but proper dam management. In India, we just don't have a culture of public safety."