National strategy on floods

While floods devastate crop yields, livestock, and property, eruption of deadly fevers and infections as water recedes in the submerged areas are creating pathetic conditions in several villages. The official estimate is that over the past six and a half decades, more than 87 crore people in the country have been affected by the floods, up to 10 lakh people have lost their lives and more than Rs 4 lakh 70 thousand crores have been lost.

Hyderabad: People of the country are suffering from the devastating floods caused by the heavy rains. The low lying areas of many parts of the country are looking like vast reservoirs due to the incessant rains. Large-scale submergence of farmlands has plunged farmers into grief; power supply to many parts of the country is disrupted.

The latest reports from the Indian Meteorological Department confirm the fact that the floods have caused extensive damage to crops and also loss of life. Official figures confirm that the heavy floods in July- August in 11 states, including Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Odisha and Chhattisgarh, have killed at least 868 people. The intensity of the rains that have rendered 55 lakh people homeless in Assam and Bihar alone is frightening both the Telugu states.

While the fast rising water level in Godavari is alarming in AP along with the Bhadradri agency, the streams and water sources in Telangana are in spate due to torrential downpours resulting in great tragedy. As heavy floods are inundating highways and farm lands, millions of cusecs of water is being dumped into the ocean.

In a country where more than 65 percent of the land area is threatened by drought, it is really tragic that such a large amount of water has to be helplessly dumped into the sea. If 70 per cent of the annual rain falls in just 100 days, being unprepared and unable to consolidate those precious waters we are forced to lose the immense natural resource!

The National Flood Commission was set up six and a half decades ago to prevent the tragedy of floods in any part of the country. Fifteen years ago, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) was established with the basic objective of minimizing property loss and casualties in the event of natural disasters. Recurring disasters and series of heart-breaking episodes every year highlight the ineffective existence of these bodies.

While floods devastate crop yields, livestock, and property, eruption of deadly fevers and infections as water recedes in the submerged areas are creating pathetic conditions in several villages. The official estimate is that over the past six and a half decades, more than 87 crore people in the country have been affected by the floods, up to 10 lakh people have lost their lives and more than Rs 4 lakh 70 thousand crores have been lost.

Renowned Telugu engineer KL Rao estimated long back that if the Ganges and Cauvery rivers are integrated, 40 lakh hectares of land could be irrigated by accumulating 60,000 cusecs water for 150 days. It is a pity that even though the Modi government wants to integrate 60 rivers, the proposal that could lay a strong foundation for the bright future of the country has not taken off.

According to Suresh Prabhu's task force, affiliation and cooperation between political parties and governments is vital. In addition, governments must be committed to the speedy removal of encroachments on the canals and strict action plans to prevent unauthorized occupation of ponds and water bodies, and sincere implementation of a National Policy on Flood Control.