Adherence to disaster safety measures is to come by only with the acceptance that our inherent Positivity Bias makes us ignorant and vulnerable.
Santa Banta
The German Lesson and the Bamboo Army
A story about moving from despair to action, and the discovery that the best solutions are often the simplest ones.
The Ghost of the Buried River
A story about a modern road, an old map, and the discovery that sometimes, the biggest floods happen where there is no river at all.
The Riverfront Property Steal
A real estate bargain can well turn out to be a high-risk liability – better ensure you are not encroaching the floodplains and not partnering obliteration of drainage as waas done in the Doon Valley.
Santa’s Rulebook Recitation and the Clogged Drain
Voluntary compliance of disaster safety measures through awareness and capacity building holds the key to community resilience and disaster safety.
Santa’s Heavy Duty Survival Kit
Survival kit is for immediate survival and mobility – keep it light and at an easily accessible place – regularly replace expired items.
Bhagirath Tapasya and the Modern Austerity
Conserving pristine natural ecology and environment of Ganga by way of not polluting its waters is our moral and spiritual duty.
The Ghost of Gohna Tal and the Scientist’s New Compass
As authorities begin a risky, controlled breach of the lake on Yamuna, Banta channels the ghost of Gohna Tal – a 19th-century success story of monitoring and early warning to deliver a powerful lesson on why our modern approach to disaster management is dangerously flawed.
The Scientist’s New Compass
To stop being disaster detective and try becoming community doctor, was Banta’s advise to the brilliant young scientist and he was quick to grasp and launch a new mission.
The Two-Headed Monster of the Rising Lake
As the landslide-dammed lake begins to rise, Santa worries about his feet getting wet, until Banta tells him the chilling, century-old story of Gohna Tal, revealing the true, two-headed monster they are facing.