Chapter 336: Chapter 165: Demolition Plan (Part 2)

Secondly, it is also necessary to calculate the negative impact after the dam’s destruction based on the dam’s architectural structure and construction environment, and assess whether it is necessary to evacuate the population in advance, as well as the possibility of subsequent repairs.

Throughout the planning meeting, everyone was using computers to conduct model simulations, debating and arguing with each other, with documents full of data flying everywhere, yet no consensus was reached.

“The Farakka Dam must not be destroyed. It is a crucial dam on a tributary of the midstream Ganges River. Do you know how many times we negotiated with Bangladesh to secure the construction rights for this dam? It affects the livelihoods of tens of thousands of farmers!”

“The bombing of the Iptai Dam would have too great an impact, requiring the relocation of too many people, and the government’s expenditure would be too high, outweighing any benefits!”

“I also believe that bombing the Iptai Dam is too difficult. I don’t know the military’s capabilities, but from an engineering explosion perspective, this dam is built between two mountain ridges in a very narrow gorge, and it was already very difficult to construct initially. Forcing a blast now would not only be hard to repair afterward but also more likely to cause landslides on both sides, making it highly dangerous!”

Inside the meeting room, everyone was chattering non-stop, with some even standing up to slam the table.

Either the finance and taxation departments refused due to excessive expenditure, or infrastructure and demolition departments suggested alternatives due to high construction difficulties, or the water resources department forcibly terminated discussions due to the irreplaceable importance of the dams.

The entire morning passed without any effective plan being devised.

He could see through these high officials and experts and realized that perhaps they didn’t grasp the severity of the situation, or maybe they hadn’t personally witnessed the terrifying floods in Assam. None of them considered issues from the people’s and disaster management angles but prioritized calculating their departments’ responsibilities and losses instead.

Only the head of the Disaster Management Bureau, along with Anurag and others, looked pale and angry.

But Gu Ji wouldn’t indulge them, anyway, he was just a small fry in the state government.

So he coldly said, “I think you all haven’t seen the essence of the problem. Once the Hugli River water levels surge, the small upstream dams will fail to hold, causing the Farakka Dam to break, leading to a chain of dam breaks downstream. By then, it won’t be just farmers’ livelihoods at stake, but thousands of lives, with houses, roads, bridges, and power infrastructures all suffering severe damage. The repair costs would be dozens of times the cost of destroying the dam!”

After saying this, Fatima finally let out the breath she had been holding.

The meeting room fell silent for a long while.

Everyone from finance, water resources, engineering, etc., looked displeased, as it was clear to everyone that Gu Ji was calling them “incompetent.”

“You’re Vidi, right? Heard you attended the Prime Minister’s advisory meeting last night?”

“I don’t know which university you graduated from, but does a little official from the State Disaster Management Department like you get to point fingers at the National Infrastructure Engineering Department?”

“If Mr. Desai’s subordinates continue to discuss like this, then we of the finance department have no need to be part of this meeting!”

“Let’s go. If they don’t want to talk to us, then we’ll leave. It’s almost 11, time for lunch!”

…

It seemed like Gu Ji was naturally at odds with “water resources,” as the first expert from the Water Resources Department sarcastically implied that he was “reckless” because he had met the Prime Minister. These experts and technicians, who could work in national central departments, were all proud individuals, expressing dissatisfaction before simply getting up and leaving.

The Disaster Management Bureau chief awkwardly looked at the disordered and empty meeting room, letting out a couple of dry laughs.

“Your people are quite amusing, indeed.”

After saying that, he left as well.

In the meeting room were only the three from the State Disaster Management Department, looking at Gu Ji’s calm demeanor. Anurag couldn’t help but advise:

“Vidi, what you said was a bit too blunt earlier!”

“Minister, when a brick is thrown into a dog kennel, the dog that yelps the loudest is the one that’s hit. I just spoke the truth, and they got upset, which shows that they hadn’t focused on disaster relief!”

Gu Ji immediately brought up the famous “Brick Hitting Dog Theory,” which prompted Fatima nearby to laugh while covering her mouth.

Anurag gave her a glance, shaking his head and sighing.

“Sigh, you say that, but really, if things don’t end well and the plan can’t proceed, the Prime Minister will blame us, given that he specifically named the Assam State Disaster Management Department to lead this plan!”

“Minister, precisely because of this, we must have absolute authority. There’s no need to heed those experts or technicians’ advice unnecessarily.”

“Don’t listen? For flood modeling, logistics and transfers, we might manage, but bombing a dam requires specialized technical expertise. Without demolition experts on the scene, we can’t proceed!”

“Not necessarily; I know a bit about demolition myself!”

What!?

Seeing Gu Ji’s expression which didn’t seem like a lie, Anurag was utterly stunned, his mouth agape, unable to speak for a while before shaking his head and saying:

“Is this true? I don’t believe it.”

“It’s true; I learned related demolition techniques while serving in the mountain troops.”

Gu Ji answered earnestly word by word.

Since last night, he had been pondering how to highlight his importance in this planning process and personally participate in military operations until he checked “Vidi’s” mobile phone and verified his identity, discovering a role identity setting advantageous to him: Vidi had participated in a new recruitment plan called “Road of Fire” issued by the Ministry of Defense, India, during his university time, serving in Assam’s mountain troops for two years.

It was because of this that he chose to work at the Assam State Agricultural Department after graduating.

Moreover, Gu Ji’s USMC explosive methodologies were further reinforced after passing the bomb checkpoint, handling complex structures like buildings, let alone an arc-shaped dam.

Anurag reached out and pinched Gu Ji’s face, and then his own.

“Oh my god, tell me I’m not dreaming! How are you like the versatile Shiva, knowing everything?”

“Hahaha, Minister, I’ve long told you, Vidi must be an incarnation of Shiva, capable of anything! Even if he now told me he could blow away a tropical storm in one breath, I’d think I wouldn’t be shocked!”

Fatima teased a couple of lines from the side.

The news that Gu Ji knew “targeted demolition” greatly encouraged Anurag.

He decided to work independently from the finance, water resources, engineering, and other departments.

After all, they left the meeting to pressure them, and Anurag didn’t want to lower himself to beg them.

But now, with an all-round talent like Gu Ji, they could make their own plan and avoid sharing credit with other departments.

Thus.

Fatima brewed three cups of black coffee for them, while munching on bread, they went full throttle to devise a detailed dam bombing plan.

The division of labor among the three was clear.

Fatima took charge of weather and hydrological environments, Gu Ji was responsible for selecting dams and formulating the demolition plan, while Anurag, with his extensive emergency experience, handled the processes of public relocation and compensation.

By the afternoon, the experts really hadn’t returned.

The chief saw they could finish the plan independently, especially with Gu Ji understanding demolition, and shared the same shocked expression as Anurag, expressing full support and sending four technicians and secretaries to assist in calculating data.

By evening, the orange-red sunset was gradually covered by clouds, causing the meeting room temperature to drop.

Gu Ji looked up and saw this scene and raised his wrist.

“Time’s almost up; the tropical storm should have landed in the Bengal Bay by now…”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep