IIT Mandi director says, meat-eating lead to cloudbursts. What, really?

Himachal Pradesh has witnessed a troubling surge in landslides and cloudbursts this year, resulting in numerous casualties. The Director of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi Laxmidhar Behera, known for his previous claims of encountering and dispelling ghosts and spirits, has offered a rather unconventional explanation for these disasters.

Meat-eating lead to cloudbursts?

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi director Laxmidhar Behera has caused a controversy by encouraging students to pledge "not to eat meat." "He states in a widely circulated online video, If we do not stop butchering innocent animals, Himachal Pradesh will experience a significant downfall."

“To become good human beings, what you have to do? No to meat eating,” Behera is heard saying in the video, and then he proceeds to ask students to vow not to eat meat.

He is heard saying, "You are butchering the innocent animals there (in Himachal Pradesh)" in a viral video posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.. It has a symbiotic association with the degradation of the environment as well. People won't be able to witness the relation between animal killings and the environment, but they added that landslides, cloudburst, and other natural disasters are effects of cruelty towards animals."

The director made a bold statement. He implied that refraining from meat-eating was a step towards becoming a "good human being." When asked about it explicitly, he responded with a firm "No to meat-eating." His reasoning was puzzling to many.

He went further to claim that meat-eating, particularly the act of killing innocent animals, had adverse effects on the environment. He suggested a "symbiotic relationship in the degradation of the environment" caused by this practice.

However, geologists hold a contrasting view. They point to factors like extensive hill slope excavation for construction and road expansion, tunnel blasting, and hydroelectric projects as the primary culprits behind the rising incidents of landslides in Himachal Pradesh.

What's the reality?

There is no scientific evidence to support the claim that meat-eating causes cloudbursts or landslides. Cloudbursts are sudden and intense rainfall events that occur due to atmospheric conditions, such as moisture, temperature, wind and pressure. Natural factors, such as rainfall, earthquakes, erosion, or human activities, such as deforestation, mining, or construction trigger landslides.

Many people on social media and other platforms have criticized the director of IIT Mandi for his controversial statement. Some have questioned his scientific credibility and ethics, while others have pointed out the diversity and personal choice of dietary habits in India.

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