The flash floods and devastation in her home state, Himachal Pradesh, has left Yami Gautam Dhar disheartened. “It’s so unfortunate and painful. People lost their lives. No amount of words can heal this wound. But just so that it doesn’t happen to someone else at this scale, I hope necessary steps are taken,” says the actor, who hails from Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh.

Reminding us that Himachal is called the “Land of Gods” and is “sacred”, the 34-year-old continues, “It is disheartening to watch those videos of the situation due to the rains. But people in the state should now be prepared to avoid it (the devastation) in the future. This is what Nature is telling us. It’s a red alert and a sign that something needs to be done [towards preserving the environment] on various levels and we need to be more responsible.”

Sharing how her family is doing, Dhar says, “They are away from the river belt, so are safe.” She adds, “Climate change is one of the main reasons for this. The temperatures have been changing and there’s more rainfall. Now, there are multi-storey buildings on the riverbank to cater to tourism. Nature gave us something beautiful and we have to maintain its sanctity. Everyone wants commercial progress in life, but we have to strike a balance without disturbing the core of what this land stands for.”