Dealing with Floods

What is the issue?

Recent floods in Assam and parts of north-east call for a shift from relief measures to building resilience in flood-prone areas.

Why is the north-east vulnerable?

• Flooding is natural in the north-eastern region of India due to its geographical features.
• Rivers in the Northeast, mostly originating in the Eastern Himalayas, experience a sharp fall in gradient as they reach Assam’s floodplains.
• The sudden fall in altitude causes a large volume of water to gush to the floodplains.
• The rivers here carry large amounts of sediments which get deposited on the floodplains.
• This results in further reduction in the storage capacity of the river channels and in turn inundation of the adjoining floodplains.
• Anthropogenic activities like , developmental interventions in the Eastern Himalayas and the resultant deforestation further push the sediment load.

What is the shortfall in the approach?

• At present the approach is inclined to the post disaster stage which lacks protective, precautionary measures.
• Flood protection measures have so far included constructing embankments, dredging rivers and bank strengthening.
• These are cost-intensive options and moreover the focus is more on construction and less on maintenance.
• The scope of storage dams in states such as the Arunachal Pradesh is also limited, given the region’s geology and the ecology.

What is needed?

• The need is a shift of focus from flood protection to flood governance.
• This requires an understanding that floods are partly natural and partly anthropogenic which could be prevented.
• Measures to build on the resilience of the flood affected communities are of prime importance.
• Social - Issues to be addressed include water and sanitation, outbreaks of diseases such as diarrhoea, access to veterinary services to prevent cattle mortality, etc.
• Elevated toilets, eco-sanitation units and elevated dugwells or tubewells will reduce the public health challenges in the flood-prone areas.
• Access to schools during the flood months can be ensured with enough number of boats.
• Livelihood - People in these areas practice subsistence agriculture.
• Inundation of land for an extended period in the monsoons and limited irrigation coverage further constrains intensification of agriculture in the dry months.
• Providing access to cheaper sources of irrigation, research on short duration boro paddy, and innovative agriculture techniques like floating vegetable gardens can help increase productivity.
• Scientific fish farming on the water bodies and the inundated land can ensure that inundation is put to optimal use.
• Planning - Strategic environment assessment of development activities needs to be undertaken in the Brahmaputra basin.
• Strengthening planning authorities like the Brahmaputra Board and flood control departments by staffing them with scientists is essential.
• Community-based advance flood warning systems can reduce the after effects.
• Reducing vulnerability, increasing access to services, and maximising productivity through optimal use of available resources can work together to reduce the impact of flood tragedies.

Source: The Indian Express