Flood control – Coherent policy needed to address recurring floods

Source: The post is based on the article “Flood control – Coherent policy needed to address recurring floods” published in Business Standard on 28^th June 2023.

Syllabus: GS 3 – Disaster Management

Relevance: concerns with increasing floods and measures needed to address them.

News: There has been a significant increase in the incidence of floods due to the climate change in India. These incidents highlight the need for effective flood-mitigation action.

What are some of the facts about floods?

Unlike some other disasters, such as earthquakes, which can neither be predicted nor prevented, floods, in most cases, are predictable. They can also be restrained to minimise the losses.

Around 12 percent of the country’s geographical area is known to be flood-prone. Out of these, around 80 per cent of land can be protected against flooding. However, required efforts have not yet been made.

What are the reasons behind increasing floods in India?

First, the catchment regions of rivers and their tributaries have seen uncontrolled deforestation and degradation of vegetation, which has increased siltation and limiting the ability to store water. The discharge of waste into the rivers has added to this problem.

Second, the riverbeds and their floodplains, which are supposed to be buffer zones, have also been encroached upon.

Third, the regulation of water flows in river systems through coordinated opening and shutting of floodgates of dams has been lacking.

Fourth, urban floods have also increased these years due to lack of proper town planning, improperly maintained drainage systems, illegal encroachments, etc.

Must Read: Urban Floods: Causes, Impacts and Remedies – Explained

What are the challenges in tackling floods in India?

a)) there is no single agency to oversee the flood-management task across the country, b) there is also no specific statutory provision for flood management in the Indian Constitution, c) while the India Meteorological Department makes rainfall predictions, the job of flood forecasting is entrusted to the Central Water Commission, d) post flooding, rescue and relief work is carried out by national- and state-level disaster-management agencies while rehabilitation and restoration works are handled by local civic bodies, e) flood management is also not present in any of the Constitution’s three lists.

These are some of the challenges that hinders proper flood management in India.

What can be the way ahead?

The challenges need to be addressed urgently, and in a holistic manner, to combat the recurring floods.

A high-level expert panel, similar to the Rashtriya Barh Ayog (National Commission on Floods) of the 1970s can also be set up, to thoroughly analyze all the issues related to floods and propose a practical action plan to address them.