In India both drought and monsoon are prevailing at the same time.
More rain in fewer days causes heavy floods, effective flood management is needed.
What are the recent incidence of floods in India?
Chandigarh-It had deficient rain till August 21, and then it got 115 mm of rain in just 12 hours.
It got roughly 15 per cent of its annual monsoon rain in just a few hours.
Bengaluru -It got 150 mm of rain in just about a day, which is close to 30 per cent of its annual monsoon rain.
Rajasthan-In a span of 24 hoursMount Abu recorded a whopping 324 mm of rainfall.
It received more than half its annual monsoon rain in two days.
Bihar - Recent flood is the result of sudden increase in water discharge through rivers Gandak, Bagmati, Kamla, Kosi and Mahananda due to heavy rain in the catchment areas.
This year’s floods in Bihar have killed 480 people and devastated the lives of more than 10 million.
Assam -Northeast India floods are caused by overflowing of Brahmaputra River in the state of Assam.
Recently it affected four north eastern states, claiming the life of 100 and displaced millions.
What can be an effective way of flood management?
Desilting of rivers alone is not just unfeasible and it’s more time consuming.
Embankments had not worked, planning systems that can divert and channel water is required.
Linking rivers to ponds, lakes, and ditches so that the water is free to flow, will distribute the water across the region.
It will also ensure that there is food during floods, as wetlands are highly productive in terms of fish and plant food.
Living water structures will capture the rain, and be a sponge for floods and storehouse for drought.
