Flood control calls for better measures

Assam has always been vulnerable to floods but this year their fury is more intense than in the past, even in the first few weeks of the monsoon. The floods have already taken a toll of more than 90 lives and affected over three million people. Large numbers of people have been displaced. At least 28 of the state’s 35 districts have been affected and houses, roads, bridges, river embankments, and crops have been damaged. Last year, the state government announced a series of measures to manage floods, but it is not known whether they were implemented. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma has said, “Floods are due to geographical factors beyond the state’s control.” That amounts to giving up on the situation. The flood fury is increasing every year, and ways need to be found to minimise their impact.

Assam has over 120 rivers, including the mighty Brahmaputra, flowing through it. There are many factors relating to hydrology, terrain, and climate that make Assam more prone to floods than other states. However, governments have not been able to manage floods for decades. The readymade solution is the building of embankments whose effectiveness is being increasingly questioned. More than 5,000 km of embankments have been constructed in the state over the years. Many of them are maintained badly and have become unstable, and they push the water downstream to flood other areas. The recommended strengthening of embankments with afforestation does not take place. Other measures like dredging, arresting erosion and creation of reservoirs to divert water from the rivers are also not seriously implemented. The proposal to set up upstream dams has received attention but has faced resistance within the state. There is no reliable hydrological data on Assam which could form the basis of measures to manage or control the floods.

The state needs more effective measures, and more studies and investments. Even now, the state’s flood warning system is below par. Climate change has introduced a new challenge. Some rivers have changed course, rendering old flood control arrangements and existing information irrelevant. Other states in the North-East such as Manipur and Mizoram have also faced floods and problems caused by excessive rainfall. Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland have suffered damage. Landslides, cloudbursts, and disruption of road and highway traffic were reported in many areas. One serious challenge that floods pose is that they vary from state to state, district to district, and year to year, and must be tackled accordingly.