Living with floods

Floods are not new to India and this sub-continent, but in recent years the problem has received much greater attention perhaps largely because it has led to much greater damage than in the past. Even though information on the impending occurrence of floods is now more accurate and certainly more timely, often there is very little time or support infrastructure in place by which damage can be minimized. This is particularly true in the case of flash floods resulting from sudden and excessively heavy rain. Indeed, even today it is not unknown for places as well developed as California or other parts of the North American continent to suffer from flash floods with extensive damage, even though the infrastructure for dealing with these problems is far superior in the US and other developed countries. In the case of India flooding is very much a function of the seasonal nature of our rainfall. The monsoons are spread over a short period during the year and often bring a concentrated volume of rain, which cannot be absorbed by the earth and finds outlet only in the form of streams that join up with our major river systems. But, flooding is not confined only to the main rivers of the country, often smaller tributaries and streams can cause heavy damage as well. Once these streams spill over their banks they could cause excessive harm, mainly because those living near the banks of these streams particularly in mountain areas do not have easy recourse to moving away quickly. Tne major factor that could lead to a higher severity of flooding in the future is the danger of climate change. While the evidence of the nature of impacts resulting from climate change on precipitation and flooding at the regional level is not entirely clear, it could happen that the Indian subcontinent witnesses and suffers the effects of a significantly changed pattern of monsoons. One set of scientists has estimated that the monsoons could be shorter in duration, but far more intensive. In other words, much greater precipitation would take place in a much shorter period of time, thereby increasing the danger of floods. Climate change is the result of human actions through the increased concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, of which carbon dioxide is the most prominent. At the local level also human actions have heightened the danger of flood through the cutting of trees in the mountains as well as in the plains. In the case of India, the ecological damage through deforestation of the Himalayas has lead to large-scale erosion of the mountain slopes and high levels of siltation. This leads to deposition of silt on the riverbeds in the plains and hence spill over of water whenever the volume in the river reaches a certain level. With siltation on the river beds, flooding occurs even at very shallow water levels. The vulnerability of the population has increased substantially because of population pressures, symbolized, for instance, by the stubborn and perhaps helpless settling of slum dwellers on the banks of the river Yamuna in Delhi,which is merely a trickle most of the year, but bursting its banks during the monsoons as has been the case this year. Flood forecasting is critical to minimizing the damage from floods. It is for this reason that the Central Water Commission has set up a network of forecasting stations, which cover the most important flood prone interstate rivers in the country. These stations produce forecasts that are used to alert the public and to mobilize various official agencies so that they take both preventive as well as relief measures whenever required. However, even in cases where forecasts have been timely and generally accurate, people have often been reluctant to move away, because in most cases they lack the means and physical options for moving away from a danger zone to one that is relatively safe. In the case of flash floods, forecasts are difficult to make, and often the time available for relief is very short. For instance, this year as early as June flash floods resulting from heavy monsoon rains affected about a quarter million people in the state of Assam itself. The same problem was seen in Nepal and Bangladesh, which are both highly flood-prone countries, with Bangladesh suffering extensive damage every year. More recently, flash floods in the river Sutlej have created major destruction in Himachal Pradesh washing away houses, bridges and equipment of various kind including much of the equipment and machinery in the Naptha Jakhri Hydro Power Corporation which is under construction. At least, 150 are feared dead in the state and the estimated loss of property is around a thousand crores. While the prevention of floods through the construction of upstream dams wherever possible and the minimization of their impacts would take considerable time and expense, at a minimum, the state governments in India and local communities have to set up effective systems and infrastructure to minimize damage from flooding in a timely manner by moving away from vulnerable areas as well as creating temporary embankments. The flood forecasting network is, of course, doing useful work, but forecasts would be of limited value unless local communities and government at every level are equipped with the necessary infrastructure and systems for immediate evacuation and damage control options. A very different view point on floods and their relationship with society often put forward is that rivers should be seen as living beings which are very much a part of human existence. This view states that historically human beings have developed the capacity to adapt both to the ravages and the benefits of floods. Indeed, it is not as though floods are without any benefit, since the spread of water over large areas deposits fertile soil which benefits agriculture and growth of various plant species. The interaction of human societies with river systems involves measures of adaptation that in several parts of the world have proved effective. For instance, in those places where floods are common, houses are built on stilts or other structures that elevate living accommodation. In some areas migration to the river site and away from it is part of a seasonal pattern that has been established over time. It is also contended that by making the control and harnessing of river waters a highly centralized engineering dominated business, often pursued in upstream locations, those whose lives are dependent on rivers downstream become complacent and passive in the practice of traditional solutions. Clearly, the solution lies somewhere in the middle. One approach that can create a balance would be to involve downstream communities in decision making for upstream infrastructure for flood control. Even more important is the involvement of local communities where dams and other infrastructure are created upstream. Unfortunately, despite the perennial recurrence of floods, this subject is treated merely as a seasonal problem, and there is hardly any debate on viewing it in a larger or longer term context. Of many areas involving public sector initiatives, water management and our approach to river issues is clearly one which requires extensive debate and discussion involving a large range of stakeholders, most importantly local communities whose lives are directly dependent on river water. Perhaps now is the time to come up with a clear policy and approach on this subject.