The Prime Minister has recently announced he would appoint a high-powered committee to find “a permanent solution” for Assam’s recurring flood problem.
Ecologists feel that a real understanding of the problem is essential before the committee is formed.
How was flood an opportunity for Assam?
Floods have not been a “problem” as such for Assam a century back.
For centuries, the region relied on the annual flooding and recession of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries.
The productivity of its agriculture and other non-farm activities centred on the events of flood as it sustained the rural livelihoods.
Floods naturally made the lands fertile and people could earn a livelihood with little labour.
Even today, bamboo fishing nets and traps on water bodies and submerged agricultural lands during the monsoons emphasize the significant role of floods in Assam.
Also, Kaziranga’s annual rejuvenation by floods is essential for the landscape and its unique wildlife to survive.
The unique biodiversity of Kaziranga is rejuvenated by a dynamic system that connects the Brahmaputra with its alluvial floodplains.
How have floods become a problem now?
The perception of floods as a “problem” in Assam is a 20th century phenomenon.
Economy - British colonials viewed the low-lying areas of the floodplains of the Brahmaputra as a potential source of revenue.
Also, the demand for new lands to meet the growing requirements of Bengal’s jute industry led to the migrated east Bengali peasants' settlement in lowlands of Assam.
Floods began to cause damage to the thriving jute cultivation as a result of which flood control started appearing on the policy agenda.
Embankments - The Assam earthquake of 1950 raised the bed of the Brahmaputra.
Resultantly, floods began to threaten the built environment of commercially important cities.
As a measure of flood control and protecting these urban settlements, embankments were built in huge numbers.
Consequently, the confinement of the river flow led to higher water levels and increased hydraulic pressure during the monsoon.
Bank erosion, embankment failures and breaches now have become major causes of flood devastation in Assam.
What are the impacts?
Floods as against being an opportunity, now are adversely impacting the livelihoods of poorer communities.
As a result, there is an increase in social inequalities.
The diverse wildlife is being put to endangerment.
The unique biodiversity of the region is also losing its sheen.
What lies ahead?
Assam's case presents a picture of how a natural event turns into a disaster with human intervention.
Thus defining the problem in relation to its past is essential to respond appropriately.
Assam's rivers are an opportunity for its riverine ecosystem, its people and wildlife.
Government's remedial measures and policy-making should consider not just deciding but also knowing the uniqueness of the region and problem of flooding.
