Guwahati, Assam: Last year in October, after flood waters had receded in Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced 54 projects aimed at mitigating the effects of swelling rivers. These initiatives, he had asserted, “would bring us close to a flood-free Assam.” Yet, as the monsoon season of 2023 unfolded, the state government finds itself struggling to protect lives and properties from the fury of the floods. According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), floods have claimed over 50 lives and displaced 360,000 people this year. More than 40,000 hectares of crop area have been affected, with significant portions of Dibrugarh and Guwahati submerged.
Chief Minister Sarma has recently expressed despair, attributing the floods to “geographical factors beyond the state’s control.” However, this stance has done little to placate the affected population, who are demanding more robust and effective flood mitigation measures.
Assam’s Flood Vulnerability: A Complex Issue
Assam’s susceptibility to flooding is rooted in a combination of hydrological and climatic factors. The state is crisscrossed by over 120 rivers, many of which originate from high rainfall areas in Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, and even China and Bhutan. Despite this known vulnerability, the central and state governments have struggled for nearly 70 years to find sustainable solutions to manage the damage caused by these rivers in spate.
The primary flood control strategy in Assam has centered on embankments, many of which date back to the 1960s and 1970s. These structures, built at a time when the hydrology of Assam’s rivers was poorly understood, have proven inadequate against the increasing intensity and frequency of floods. Modern solutions, such as integrating indigenous knowledge for building flood-resistant structures, dredging rivers, arresting erosion, and constructing more resilient embankments, have either remained on paper or have seen limited implementation.
In 2021, a parliamentary panel recommended the establishment of modern weather stations in the upstream catchments of the Northeast’s dams and the installation of sirens to alert downstream populations of impending floods. However, the region still lacks state-of-the-art warning systems.
Guwahati: A City Prone to Water Logging
Guwahati, Assam’s largest city, is particularly vulnerable to flooding due to its bowl-shaped topography. Historically, the city’s marshes and water channels managed excess water effectively. However, extensive construction over the past 70 years has severely compromised these natural drainage systems. Rainwater from the surrounding hills and neighboring Meghalaya now causes frequent flash floods, exacerbated by the city’s deteriorating drainage infrastructure.
For at least a decade, it has been evident that both state and central governments need to collaborate more effectively to mitigate flood-related damages. The people of Assam and the broader Northeast region deserve proactive governance solutions rather than an administration that attributes the problem solely to geography.
Government Initiatives and Interventions
Despite the ongoing challenges, the Assam government has undertaken several initiatives to address the flood crisis:
- Integration of Emergency Helpline Number-108: This helpline provides immediate assistance during emergencies, including floods.
- Guwahati Emergency Management Exercise: Regular drills to prepare for and respond to emergencies.
- Great Assam School Shakeout (2010-2012): A program aimed at educating school children on disaster preparedness.
- National School Safety Programme (NSSP): Ensuring the safety of school environments in disaster-prone areas.
- GIS Mapping Utilities & Infrastructures for Assam: Mapping critical infrastructure to aid in disaster management.
- Flood Hazard Atlas of Assam: A comprehensive guide to the flood-prone areas of the state.
- International Day for Disaster Reduction, 2012: Events to raise awareness about disaster risk reduction.
- Flood Early Warning System (FLEWS): An alert system to warn residents of impending floods.
- Status Survey of Hospitals & School Buildings in Guwahati City and Retrofitting Solutions: Assessing and strengthening critical buildings against disasters.
- Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation: Strategies to mitigate risks in the context of dynamic environmental changes.
- Water Resource and Flood & Erosion Risk Mitigation Planning: Long-term planning to manage water resources and reduce flood risks.
- Hazard, Risk, Vulnerability Assessment: Evaluating the vulnerabilities of different regions to various hazards.
- Study on Flood Damage Mitigation Measures for Barak Valley: Research specific to mitigating flood damage in South Assam.
- Literature Survey for Earthquake Hazard Assessment: Studying the earthquake risks in the Northeast.
- Critical Analysis of Seismic Micro-zonation Study of Guwahati City: Detailed seismic risk analysis for Guwahati.
- Landslide Hazard Risk Mitigation for Guwahati City: Strategies to mitigate landslide risks.
- Operationalization of District Disaster Response and Information Centre: Establishing response centers at the district level.
- Operationalization of Revenue Circle Level Disaster Information & Response Centre: Setting up response centers at the revenue circle level.
- Constitutions of Quick Response Teams: Forming teams for rapid response during disasters.
- Formation of SDRF: Establishing the State Disaster Response Force.
- Apartment Society Sensitization Programme: Educating apartment societies on disaster preparedness.
- Involvement of NGOs with ASDMA & DDMA: Collaborating with NGOs for disaster management.
- Incident Response System (IRS) in Assam: Implementing a systematic response protocol for incidents.
CM Sarma’s Recent Efforts
As Assam grapples with this year’s floods, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has been actively involved in relief efforts. He recently visited Palashbari in Kamrup district to assess the situation firsthand. Sarma visited three relief camps, spending time with flood victims to understand their needs and oversee the rescue, relief, and rehabilitation measures being undertaken by the government.
Assam’s flood crisis highlights the urgent need for comprehensive and sustainable flood management strategies. While the state government has initiated several projects and interventions, the persistent and devastating impact of floods underscores the necessity for more robust and coordinated efforts. The people of Assam deserve solutions that not only address the immediate aftermath of floods but also mitigate future risks, ensuring their safety and livelihoods are protected from the annual deluge.
Edited By Megha Chaubey (Climate Change Expert)