Every year floods play havoc in India during the rainy season that lasts from July to September. The floods used to devastate the large areas of India before the river-valley projects were taken up extensively to control the flow of river waters.
It is also a fact that our country depends largely on rains for food grain production. The farmers look up to skies to catch the sight of the clouds that carry their hopes and fortunes. There lives depend on rains. But rains also cause floods to wreak havoc and large destruction of life and property.
Ganga, Yamuna, Brahmputra, Gomati, Gandak, Kosi etc. are the northern rivers that flood during monsoon season. Northern plains are hit by intense heat during May and June creating low pressure area over land. The oceanic region maintains low temperatures and high pressure centre.
Thus, monsoon winds get carried to low pressure areas of plains. The vast landmass of India gets covered with clouds brought in from the sea and rains begin to pour down. North Eastern states receive heavy rain fall. So do the western Himalayan region. The plains also get varying amounts of rain fall. Rajasthan and Gujarat are rain deficit areas, but in the recent past these states received heavy rainfall and flood played havoc there. Other regions receive reasonable rain fall generally.
When there is excess of rains in catchment areas large quantities of waters get discharged resulting in floods. U.P., Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Punjab, Delhi, Haryana and Gujarat suffer the most from floods. Brahmputra in the eastern region creates great havoc. Gandak and Kosi cause great damage in Bihar. Kosi is known as Bihar’s river of sorrows.
Floods result in breaches of bunds, inundation of river banks, washing away of roads, rail lines, bridges and houses. Buildings get flooded with water. Large areas suffer destruction of standing crops and cattle. The poor and weaker sections suffer the most in the floods. They get deprived of their huts, meagre belongings, kachcha houses, crops and cattle. Every year troops have to be called in to help the suffering people as civil administration fails to handle the rescue work. Helicopters and planes are also used to drop food and medicines to the marooned people. In the wake of ravaging floods there is danger of break out of the epidemics as corpses and carcasses breed germs, insects and worms when waters recede leaving behind muddy slush.
Sometimes metro cities also suffer the ravages of floods. In 1978 large parts of Delhi got inundated with water as Yamuna river flooded it. There were terrible scenes of suffering, loss and devastation. The roads became water logged and houses too got invaded by surging waters.
In 2005 Mumbai suffered worst flooding. It was not caused by any river but due to choking of drainage system. Incessant rains turned the city into a big water pool. The people were marooned on roads in their cars, offices, other work stations and railway platforms. It was a nightmare.
Whenever floods occur the state and central governments try to alleviate the sufferings of the flood affected population subject to bunglings. River valley projects and dams have tamed the rivers to some extent but more needs to be done. Heavy afforestation programme is the need of the hour. Construction of small dams and bunds will help further. Flood ravened states must have trained staff in relief operations and rescue missions.
One of the biggest reasons of increased flooding is destruction and degradation of the eco-system. Forest cover must be raised again. Social forestry and afforestation on vast scale must be undertaken as national movement. Indiscriminate cutting of forests must be checked atonce. Studies must be made to assess if interlinking of rivers was feasible and safe.