Assam faces severe floods every year due to its unique geography, influenced by the Himalayas and monsoons. These floods reveal the complex relationship between human activities and natural forces, highlighting the urgent need for effective flood management strategies.
Origin of the Article
This editorial is based on “Behind Assam’s annual flood woes, a history of unintended consequences” published in The Indian Express on 16/07/2024. The article discusses the geographical and human factors contributing to Assam’s chronic flooding issues.
Relevancy for UPSC Students
Understanding the causes and management of floods is crucial for UPSC aspirants. This topic is relevant to the Disaster Management section of the syllabus and helps in understanding government policies and interventions. Knowledge on this topic can aid in writing answers for both GS Paper 2 and GS Paper 3.
Why in News
Recent floods in Assam spotlight the annual crisis faced by the region, exacerbated by natural and man-made factors. This topic is crucial for UPSC aspirants as it intersects with previous questions on disaster management, government interventions, and climate change. Understanding the complex dynamics of flood management in India is essential for both Prelims and Mains, as it reflects broader issues of policy implementation and environmental sustainability.
Causes of Floods in India
Floods in India arise from a blend of natural and human-induced factors. Understanding these causes is crucial for developing effective flood management strategies.
Natural Causes
- Heavy Rainfall: During the monsoon season from June to September, India experiences intense rainfall. The heavy downpours often exceed the soil’s absorption capacity and overwhelm the drainage systems, leading to widespread flooding.
- Melting of Glaciers: Rising temperatures have accelerated the melting of glaciers. This phenomenon often leads to glacial lake outburst floods, as seen in Sikkim, causing downstream flooding and significant damage.
- Cyclones and Storms: Cyclones, such as Cyclone Michaung, bring strong winds and heavy rains, particularly affecting coastal regions. These storms contribute to severe coastal flooding, endangering lives and property.
- River Overflow: Excessive inflow from heavy rains or diminished outflow can cause rivers to overflow. For example, the Yamuna River overflowed in 2023 due to heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh and Haryana, leading to flooding in Delhi.
Man-Made Causes
- Unplanned & Rapid Urbanisation: Rapid urbanization without proper planning has exacerbated flood risks. The 2020 floods in Hyderabad and the 2015 Chennai floods highlight how urban growth can make cities more prone to flooding.
- Concretization: The widespread use of impervious surfaces like asphalt and concrete increases surface runoff. During heavy rainfall, this leads to water accumulation and localized flooding, overwhelming drainage systems.
- Encroachment of Water Resources: Construction activities in riverbeds and floodplains disrupt natural water flow. Cities like Bhopal and Chennai have seen increased flooding due to such encroachments.
- Deforestation: Forests play a vital role in absorbing rainfall. Deforestation reduces this capacity, leading to greater surface runoff and increased flood risks.
- Dams and Barrages: Poorly managed dams can pose significant risks. The 2018 floods in Kerala, linked to the Mullaperiyar dam, illustrate how mismanagement can lead to disasters.
- Unsustainable Mining Practices: Mining operations cause soil erosion and sedimentation in rivers, reducing their carrying capacity and altering drainage patterns, which increases flood risks.
- Climate Change: Climate change has intensified rainfall and flooding events. Increased temperatures lead to more unpredictable and intense rainfall patterns, raising the potential for floods.
- Poor Drainage Systems: Inadequate drainage systems, clogged by silt and solid waste, are a major cause of flooding in urban and rural areas. Cities like Delhi experience significant waterlogging due to poor drainage infrastructure.
Vulnerability of India to Floods
India’s geographical and climatic features make it particularly vulnerable to floods. Various regions face different levels of risk due to their unique characteristics.
- NDMA’s Vulnerability Report: The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) identifies regions like the Ganga-Brahmaputra basin, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh as highly flood-prone. Coastal states like Odisha and Andhra Pradesh also face annual flood threats.
- Old Estimation: The Rashtriya Barh Ayog (National Flood Commission) in 1980 estimated that 12.19% of India’s geographical area is vulnerable to floods. These outdated estimates need revision to reflect current realities.
- Climate Change: Climate change has exacerbated flood risks. Studies have shown a tripling of extreme rainfall events in central India between 1950 and 2015. Rising temperatures are expected to increase the frequency of floods by 2070-2100.
- Increased Downpour: Recent years have seen massive floods due to excessive rainfall during the southwest monsoon. In 2020, 256 districts across 13 states reported floods, highlighting the increased vulnerability.
PESTEL Analysis
| Political: The Indian government’s approach to flood management involves regulations, policies, and initiatives like the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). Challenges include political will in implementing policies and coordination among states, given varied regional governance. Economic: Floods cause significant economic losses due to damage to infrastructure and agriculture. Investment in flood management, like the Ken-Betwa River linking project, could potentially redistribute water resources, impacting regional economies differently. Social: The frequent floods affect millions, especially in vulnerable regions like the Ganga-Brahmaputra basin. Public awareness programs and better community engagement in planning are crucial for mitigating impacts and enhancing resilience. Technological: Advanced technologies for flood forecasting and early warning systems by agencies like the Central Water Commission (CWC) are vital. However, there’s a need for broader access to these technologies and improvements in their accuracy and real-time capabilities. Environmental: Environmental factors such as deforestation, urbanization, and climate change exacerbate flooding. Solutions like mangrove plantations (e.g., MISHTI Initiative) and sustainable urban planning are essential to mitigate environmental impacts and adapt to changing climate conditions. Legal: Regulatory frameworks govern land use and urban planning, which are critical to managing floodplains and enforcing building codes. Enhancements in these laws can help prevent encroachments and poor drainage systems that contribute to flooding. |
Role of Dams and Embankments in Flood Management
Dams and embankments play a dual role in flood management, serving both as preventive measures and potential risks when mismanaged.
Role of Dams in Flood Management
- Inadequate Management: Poor reservoir management can necessitate sudden water releases, exacerbating downstream flooding. Only 7% of dams have Emergency Action Plans, indicating a significant readiness gap.
- Impact of Poor Operations: Failing to prioritize flood moderation can increase flood severity. Disasters like the Uttarakhand floods (2013), Chennai floods (2015), and Kerala floods (2018) underscore the consequences of mismanagement.
- Examples of Floods Linked to Dams: Projects in the Brahmaputra Basin have been linked to increased flood risks, highlighting the need for better dam management practices.
Role of Embankments in Flood Management
- Increased Flood Intensity: The rising intensity of floods has rendered many embankments ineffective, particularly in states like Bihar and Assam.
- Lack of Analysis: There is a lack of comprehensive cost-benefit analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of embankments, leading to potentially misguided flood management strategies.
- False Security: Embankments can provide a false sense of security. Breaches can lead to severe flash floods, endangering nearby communities.
- Exacerbated Flooding: Breaches in embankments cause more severe flooding due to silt and debris accumulation, altering river dynamics and increasing flood risks.
- Experts on Embankment: The G R Garg committee and the National Flood Commission have noted that embankments can exacerbate flooding issues by causing coarse silt deposition, and raising riverbeds above surrounding land.
Solutions for Flood Management in India
Effective flood management requires a comprehensive approach that includes both structural and non-structural measures.
Flood Management Structural Measures
- Inter-Linking of Rivers Programme (ILR): The ILR aims to link surplus rivers with deficient ones to balance water distribution. The Ken-Betwa project is a flagship initiative aimed at improving water security in Bundelkhand.
- Reservoirs: Storage reservoirs like the Bhakra Nangal Dam help moderate flood peaks by storing excess water during high-flow periods and releasing it during low-flow periods.
- Managing Coastal Flood: The MISHTI Initiative for mangrove plantation, launched in the 2023-24 Union Budget, aims to use mangroves as a natural barrier against coastal flooding.
- Embankments: Raised structures like embankments confine water flow and protect adjacent areas from flooding. However, they must be carefully managed to avoid exacerbating flood risks.
- Diversions: Projects like the Indira Gandhi Canal redirect water flow to less vulnerable areas, helping to manage excess water and reduce flooding.
Flood Management Non-Structural Measures
- Flood Forecasting and Early Warning: Early warning systems, such as those operated by the Central Water Commission, provide timely flood alerts, facilitating evacuation and disaster management.
- Flood Plain Zoning: Regulatory measures control land use in flood-prone areas, promoting the conservation of natural flood buffers like wetlands and forests, as outlined in NDMA guidelines.
- Flood Insurance: Schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana provide financial compensation for flood-related losses, encouraging risk reduction and lessening the burden on government relief efforts.
- Flood Awareness: Education and awareness initiatives by organizations like the NDMA raise community preparedness and response capabilities, fostering a culture of safety and resilience.
Conclusion
To effectively tackle flooding, it is vital to recognize that both natural and man-made factors contribute to this ongoing crisis. While natural causes are unavoidable, human actions like urban encroachment and poor infrastructure management, which significantly worsen the impact, can be managed. By adopting a holistic strategy that incorporates advanced forecasting, sustainable practices, and community awareness, we can better prepare for and respond to flooding challenges.
| UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Questions (PYQs) Mains Q. How far do you agree that the behavior of the Indian monsoon has been changing due to humanizing landscapes? Discuss. (GS Paper II, 2015). Q. Recent floods in Assam highlight the annual crisis exacerbated by both natural and man-made factors. Critically evaluate the role of human activities such as deforestation and inadequate infrastructure in amplifying the effects of monsoon floods. How can integrated flood management systems be improved to address these issues? |
