WHY ASSAM FLOODS FREQUENTLY

Year after year, the biggest state in the northeastern region, Assam, is ravaged by floods. It displaces thousands and damages property worth billions—but lessons are rarely learnt. 

Topography of Assam and meteorological factor (high rainfall) are the obvious reason behind Assam floods every year. Also, Brahmaputra is the largest water carrying river of India and the second-largest silt carrying river in the world. 


The Brahmaputra, a trans-boundary river and among the mightiest rivers in Asia, is unstable in its entire reach in Assam except for a few places.

As per the Brahmaputra board’s latest annual report, the main reasons behind the instability of the river are high sedimentation and steep slopes. Additionally, the entire area falls in an earthquake-prone zone and experiences high rainfall.

One of the key reasons for annual deluge in the state is the high percentage of flood prone region. According to the Rastriya Barh Ayog (RBA), 31.05 lakh hectares of the total 78.523 lakh hectares area of the state is prone to frequent floods. That means nearly 40% of land area is under flood prone region. And the reasons behind this high flood prone area percentage are both man-made and natural.


EARTHQUAKES/LANDSLIDES

Assam and some other parts of the northeastern region are prone to frequent earthquakes, which causes landslides. The landslides and earthquakes send in a lot of debris in the rivers, causing the river bed to rise.

BANK EROSION

Assam has also faced bank erosion around the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers as well as their tributaries. It is estimated that annually nearly 8000 hectares land is lost to erosion. Bank erosion has also affected the width of the Brahmaputra river, which has increased up to 15 km. The damage cost due to bank erosion is estimated to be of several hundred crore every year.


DAMS

Among the man-made reasons, the key cause of floods in Assam region is releasing of water from dams situated uphill. Unregulated release of water floods the Assam plains, leaving thousands of people homeless every year.

ENCROACHMENT

Encroachment in forest lands and water bodies is another main reason that causes flood in the state.

NON-IMPLEMENTATION OF PROJECT

Looking at the grim situation, the Centre had sanctioned a project of Brahmaputra dredging during the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first term, however, sources said that the project is yet to begin. The project involves dredging a stretch of 891 km of Brahmaputra from Sadiya in the north to Dhubri in the south of the state. The entire project, which also includes the construction of the Brahmaputra Expressway on both sides of the river would cost Rs 40,000 crore. But it is still in the planning stage. While speaking about the project, Assam Minister of Irrigation Department, Revenue & Disaster Management, Bhabesh Kalita said, The project was announced by the Centre and the implementation process has been started."

POLITICS AROUND FLOODS 

Every year Embankments are damaged and are constructed again with the same low quality and high risk under some constructers . This became a loop which helps constructers to bag cash and the loss is indeed for tax payers.

POSSIBLE SOLUTION'S 

Plantation along the banks of the rivers would help in resisting the bank erosions.

 

Proper action over deforestration and controlling land encroachment would  help in controlling the human loss.

Embankments should be properly built and maintained by the authorities.


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