A file image of people wading through inundated roads in Assam (AT Photo)
The first wave of floods, which has affected a population of nearly six lakh in 21 districts, has apparently caught the authorities unawares. The occurrence of the floods was earlier than normal and the Barak Valley has borne the brunt of the damage, where nearly five lakh people have been hit.
The death toll has been surprisingly high at 16, while settlements and cropland have been inundated. The recurring nature of the natural calamity – more than anything else – is symptomatic of a lack of scientific approach to deal with the menace.
Every flood and erosion intervention has been carried out more as a matter of routine by our government than evolving a holistic strategy to combat it. Even in the matter of preparedness and immediate response, we are invariably caught on the wrong foot, which magnifies and prolongs the sufferings of the affected.
A thorough revamp of our flood and erosion control strategy in terms of policy, intervention and execution is a dire need, but that seems nowhere near materialising even as people’s sufferings continue to mount. Prudence also dictates that we accord adequate thrust on the measures to be taken during and after floods, more so when we are still awaiting a lasting solution to the menace.
The immediate response of the authorities to the ongoing floods should be to reach out to the flood-affected populace. The makeshift shelters should be equipped with proper amenities, including for women and children. The affected livestock population, too, needs to be adequately taken care of in this hour of distress. It is regrettable that despite Assam being a flood-prone State, our preparedness level remains abysmal, whereas the situation warrants a quick-response mechanism in the form of sufficient numbers of rubber boats, trained manpower, and adequately equipped relief camps.
Floods being an emergency situation warrant greater coordination among different departments, voluntary bodies and the media. Unfortunately, we are habituated to confronting a situation of chaos and confusion whenever a disaster strikes. With disaster management now a specialised field, and with huge funds coming for the purpose, it is highly questionable why we have not been able to evolve an efficient disaster management mechanism.
As for flood control measures, the shoddy, corruption-riddled embankment repair work – a bane for the flood-affected and a milch cow for the corrupt coterie of contractors, bureaucrats and politicians for years – needs to change. Some innovation, too, is a dire need, with a thrust on environmental aspects of flood control. Rampant encroachment on riverine areas, widespread deforestation causing siltation and leading to abnormal rise in riverbeds, and frequent shifting of courses by rivers, etc., have added to the destructive dimension of the floods.