Recurring Assam Floods- hear it in decibels

14 min readJul 21, 2020

My books and looks might have carried me away from my nativity but the tongue has held tight its grip over the joys and woes of my state, Assam. I know that the tongue is tied most of the times but then I switch to my hands to hold the reins of my pride, Assam. Yes, I will be using the word ‘Assam’ multiple times so that as you read through you will get used to it just like the articles of grammar.

Aerial view of Assam (Credit: Pinterest)

LET’S START WITH ASSAM’S BASIC GEOGRAPHY?

Assam can be introduced as one of the North-Eastern states of “India”. And it geographically shares inter-state boundary with six Indian states; namely Arunachal Pradesh (north), Nagaland and Manipur (east), Mizoram and Meghalaya (south) and West Bengal (west). Internationally, the state edges with Bhutan to its north and Bangladesh to its west and thus you can now vividly infers its extremeties and peripheries. The capital of Assam is ‘Dispur’, and not Guwahati. Moreover, the latter is the only metropolitan city in Assam, along with 33 districts, 84 municiapl towns and 58 sub-divisions clogging an estimated population of thirty-five millions (3.5 Crores). Every people residing in Assam is an Assamese irrespective of their caste, creed, religion, immigration, sex, status, position and grade. We are part of the same success story, problem and your basic knowledge.

Physical map of Assam showing the districts (Credits: Maphill)

INRODUCING BRAHMAPUTRA AND ITS HOLDINGS

Two floodplains of Assam fertiles the land with lush green forests and swamps, natural resources, oil fields and delightful wild and tame animals. The mighty Brahmaputra River make up the largest Brahmaputra floodplain or valley and Barak River forms the Barak Plain or valley. Both rivers spread out its tributaries to make Assam as one of the richest alluvial landmasses of the Indian peninsula. These floodplains are rich in population and agriculture and also suggests that the state gets heavy rainfall during monsoon season. The entire state nourishes in its water for irrigation, survival, transportation and industry- economical and entertainment. Assam has hills too, yes, a lot of hills, hillocks and mountains. Barak River is the product of streams flowing from the hill ranges of Assam and its conjoining states; Nagaland and Manipur. This paragraph is just the introduction to the conceited grave lying underneath these natural masterpieces.

The history of Brahmaputra is proven to be older than the Himalayas which makes it an important question for Federal jobs(?) So, adding more information about the 9th largest and 15th longest river in the world, Brahmaputra, sources from the Chemayungdung Glacier, Tibet as Tsangpo River and enters India through Arunachal Pradesh and then finally into Assam. The awakening earthquake of 1950, on the occassion of Independence day shook Assam for straight eight minutes with a casuality of 1,000 lives and destined a new constantly shifting and eroding route for Brahmaputra.

REASONS BEHIND ANNUAL FLOODING OF ASSAM

The mighty Brahmaputra takes an antagonistic shape annually during the spring season due to glacial meltdown. And the situational consequence of Assam lying in Zone V, leads to landslides and subsequent flooding in the floodplains. Eathquakes causes erosion along the riverbanks and deposit the debris and soil on its riverbeds. This leads to shallowness of the Brahmaputra River but widening of the same. This is a regular phenomena for not only Brahmaputra but Barak River too and their braided tributaries. The melting of snow happens during the early summers, from mid-April to late May every year and it leads to high water run-off. And every year, lakhs of revenue erode into these rivers in the name of mitigation.

Traditionally, monsoon comes home past June and lasts till the end of October, but the climate change have persistingly increased its strength every year since the 19th century and now there has been shift of the periodical. Thereby initiating the annual rains from May to October occcassionally but skillfuly to rise up to the pretext of flooding Assam. Another high water run-off occurs during late summers, i.e. monsoon season contributing to approximately 19,830 cubic meters of discharge into Brahmaputra. Rainfall upstreams in China and Bhutan is a factorial cause for both river flow and flood in downstream Assam indeed. Due to lack a joint engagement between Bhutan and China, Siang (Brahmaputra named in Arunachal Pradesh) suffers a sudden drop in river flow during winters.

“The Centre is blamed for not providing sufficient funds for floods in Assam. We have a sufficient amount of money for relief work but do we have an action plan in hand as yet for a permanent solution? Look at the volume of water that flowed down from China this time too. I am not saying China released excess water but we must keep this factor in mind before blaming the government,” Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told reporters...”(https://www.deccanherald.com/national/east-and-northeast/china-bhutan-or-deforestation-role-in-assam-flood-750078.html)

rainfall district-wise (Credits: Wikipedia)

The dams over Brahmaputra river are again red flags for the floodplain. The Ranganadi Dam built over the upstream Brahmaputra in Arunachal Pradesh has been releasing a worrying amount of water downwards. The river water enters Assam through Lakhimpur district of Assam, and NEEPCO is authorized with the release of water from Ranganadi Hydro Electric Plant(RHEP). This is another cause of massive flooding in Assam, especially in the Lakhimpur district and lowerlying areas like Subansiri, Bongaigaon, Chirang, Jorhat, Kamrup, Dhemaji, Morigaon, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Dhubri, Biswanath, Cachar, Karimganj, Nalbari,etc. says the residents of these places. After incessant complaints from the public each year, this Dam was opted for a shutdown from 1st of February to 30th April, 2019 through a circular which mentioned release of extra water from the dam along with the river water for atleast four days straight. The new dam project over Subansiri river is feared to enhance the wrath of flood in the valley and thus since 2011 following various agitations and oppositions from National Green Tribunal and locals, it has been put on a standby. Moreover, a student leader from Arunachal Pradesh said that Chinese has constructed several dams over the Brahmaputra river upstreams and it is responsible for the paced flow of water in the river as excess water is released by them.

Encroachment cannot be an excuse of humans but a fact behind Assam floods. With the rise in population of Assam, along with illegal immigration from neighbouring countries, especially Bangladesh, encroachment has become a mundane affair. The wetlands, marshes, riverbanks etc. that do not support strong foundation for settlement have been turned into villages through deforestation, hill cutting and method of shifting cultivation. These encroached villages are occupied illegally in most cases and are inhabitated without proper planning about drainage or growth. Wetlands are natural reservoirs of water and Assam hosts more than 3,000 wetlands along with a variety of unique flora and fauna.

225 animals dead in Kaziranga National Park (Credit: The Indian Express)

Deforestation is another consistent root cause of the monstrous Brahmaputra flooding across the decade s in Assam. Not only flood, extensive deforestation of the semi-evergeen forests in the Brahmaputra valley for human accomodation and other economical practices have loosened the soil and thus have paved way for easy siltation and rude river-bank erosion in the region. With the loss of forests in the valleys, the rainwater cannot get easily concentrated into the soil and thus with a higher speed the water gets accumulated in the rivers instead, causing flood in the valley. The erosion of landmass along the river banks of Brahmaputra and its tributaries have been increasing every year. Many locals, both men and animals have fallen prey to this occurances along with several drowning incidents of tourists and dangerous whirlpools in the water current.

Deforestation in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh (Credits: Sentinel Assam)

ASSAM FLOODS- HOW HAS IT BEEN DEALT SO FAR?

The Government of India had announced a National Policy on the ingesting novel Assam Floods since it first hit the state in 1954. Under the policy, there are three phases of measures- the immediate and short term measures have been sought out in the state till now but the long term ones are yet to be executed. The measures for flood control in Assam hovers around the keypoint ‘Development of rural sector and protection of Major townships in Brahmaputra and Barak Valley’ and thus the water control planning constituted arrangements to solve the urgent attention areas like relief from drainage congestion in populated flood-stricken towns and cities through:

a) Contruction of embankments, flood gates and floodwalls.

b) River Channelization with pro-siltation devicing

c) River training and bank protection works

d)Anti-erosion an d twon protection works

e) Drainage improvement schemes/sluices

f) Raised platforms and landfilling of low-lying areas

g) Flood Forecasting and warning stations

h) Flood zoning

However, the Brahmaputra floods have turned into a series of yearly amplifying catastrophy for the inhabitants of Assam since 2012. Prior to this, floods had been less destructive to life and property and subsequently been welcomed to fertile the floodplains of Assam with silt and to nourish the ecological parks for the animal habitat to strive. As soon as the flood strikes the land again, rescue operations begin to deploy the people in the affected villages. Crores of money is spent on trying to reverse the siuation to neat but then again, the flood hits Assam the very next year. Donations and funds are raised each year by the local organisations for food, clothing and money to support the victims to start anew. The Governement also tries to resettle the affected people elsewhere and provide a meagre monetary help to start off with a new life. Embankments are either built newly or the existing ones are improved by the Water Resource Department. There have been several initiatives, projects and interventions meted out by the Assam Government over the years such as:

Integration Emergency Helpline Number-108
Guwahati Emergency management Excercise
Great Assam School Shakeout (2010,2011,2012)
National School Safety Programme (NSSP)
GIS Mapping Utilities & Infrastructures for Assam
Flood Hazard Atlas of Assam
Flood Early warning System (FLEWS)
Status Survey of Hospitals & Schol Buildings in Guwahati City and Retrofitting Solutions.
Water Respurces and Flood & Erosion Risk Mitigation Planning in Assam
Incident Response System (IRS) in assam
Formation of SDRF
Constitutions of Quick Response Teams, etc.

NGOs along with Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) and District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) work on the addressal of the ongoing flood issues and deliverance procedures for the expected outcomes later. They provide Landslide Damage Report ,Integration of Climate Change Adaption in Disaster Rick Reducton Report,etc.; form Village Land Conservation Committees; hold trainings for Hospital Prepardness & Mass Casuality Management , Public Health Emergency Management, School Safety trainings for teachers, VDPs, Acute Trauma Management for Doctors,etc. ASDMA has a Disaster Management Plan for District level, City level-Dibrugarh City, Guwahati Metro and Silchar City and also Departmental level along with awareness generation plans and sessions across the state through road performances and plays, distribution of awareness publications and vehicles with ASDMA logo patrol the places handing out leaflets to the crowds and even conducts quizzes with the agenda to teach and award public with goodies. There is also an online portal in their official webiste where NGOs can enroll themselves as volunteer groups during a disaster.

WHY THE NATIONAL MEDIA IS EXPECTED TO TALK ABOUT ASSAM FLOODS?

Not that Assam has not experienced destructive floods before, around 12 major floods since 1950 has fallen straight into the land of Lachit Barphukan and yet mainland India was unbothered and uneducated of it. The main reasons being higher sedimentation in Brahmaputra, steep slopes from east to west, higher rainfall because of altitude and being part of a earthquake-prone zone according to Brahmaputra board’s latest report.

The 2012 Brahmaputra floods caused landslides and harmed the arena of Kaziranga National Park significantly and unprecedently where around 500 animals died and human toll was 124. Monsoon rains in India and its surrounding countries had havoced the state unparalled, and the most depressing news was the death of 16 one-horned rhinocerous in the flood. 2013 flood affected 12 out 27 districts and also took the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in its grip along with Kaziranga. About 16.5 lakh people from 21 districts were affected by 2015 floods yet again. ASDMA reported 2017 as the worst hit of the last four years of Assam flood. 2018 saw the uprooting and loss of about 11,243 hectares of agricultural lands with crops over 4 districts. the very next year, 2019 Assam flood covered 30 districts and unfortunately around 2400 endangered species of one-horned rhinos were affected gravely.

Assam Flood 2016 (Credit: The Financial Express)

The past two years i.e. 2018 and 2019 have been the worst in case of the Kaziranga National Park and the Tiger Reserve as a major part of the habitat gets submerged under flood water. The water level cross the danger mark and thus it pose as a hurdle for the young animals. 2020 flood in Assam has killed 116 animals in the Kaziranga National Park- rhinos, hog deers etc. while 132 have been rescued. BBC report states that 8 rare rhinos died in the ongoing flood from drowning. About hundreds of relief and rescue camps have been setup to shelter the displaced ones.

It has been a ravaging display of wildlife killing, human loss and property demolishing amidst the ongoing global pandemic- novel COVD-19. According to reports, flooding started in May and by July 22 districts have been affected with it along with landslides. The water level is beyond the danger level in many areas namely Neemati Ghat (Jorhat), Tezpur (Sonitpur), Goalpara and Dhubri. Kaziranga National Park and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary are badly affected by the flood, more than 50% of their land is flooded leaving the animals precarious. Over 70 lakh people have been affected and the death toll has reaches 84.

According to Govt. reports embankments upto 4473.82 km have been built, frther raised and strengthened upto 655.502 kms, around 911 number of Anti-erosion and town protecton works have been carried out, about 874.966 kms of drainage schemes have been worked out and sluices-Major 94 and Minor 545 in number hav been engineered.

But people from affected villages had claimed that there were no river embankments at many places and the breached ones were not even re-constructed.

“Floods happen due to a breach of embankments. More than 80% of these embankments have not been reinforced in several decades because there is a huge contractor-administration nexus that benefits monetarily from a flood situation,” said Kishalay Bhattacharjee, professor and commentator on the northeastern region”. (https://www.livemint.com/Politics/JEGERRSFHOVCAm86Pd1tnL/Why-Assam-faces-floods-every-year.html)

Schools and Colleges submerge under the water for months. Students and teachers are left with no choice but to stay unlearnt and unemployed during the crisis period. Loss of poultry, vegetation and small-scale industries shrink the hearts of the loss-bearers. The transportation links to the affected areas get all washed away with the running water on loose. There are no places of shelter for the people during the incessant raining and many people die of starving and uncalled animal hunting. And floodwater is contaminating so it leads to shortage of potable water among the people.

There should be an improved and modified flood forecasting system that effectively connects the various flood-prone areas of the state. The management plan for Assam Flood must be multidisciplinary focussing on soil, climate, water, biology and socio-culture. Flood instigates the spread of epidemics like Japanese Encephalitis, malaria, dengue and other water-borne disease so the Disaster Management team of Assam must opt for a proactive approach. Moreover, the project of constructing the Brahmaputra Express Highway from Sadiya in the east to Dhubri in the west has been sanctioned during PM Narendra Modi’s first term to solve the problem of erosion yet the implementation process is to begin.

It is evident how there has been a serious lack of proactive disaster management facility in the state that every year the destruction rate increases questioningly. Yet, there has been a very poor response of media highlight of this grave corruption in Assam. The national media has always been a halfwit in the affairs of the North Eastern states and such a havening situation also fails to succumb their priority news headlines and discussions.

Assam Flood 2020 (Credit: Deccan Herald)

RECENT DEVELOPMENT BY ASSAM GOVERNMENT TOWARDS 2020 FLOOD:

@Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Wednesday inspected the construction work of embankment by Water Resource Department from Morihula to Agoratoli range as a protection measure for Kaziranga National Park (KNP). (https://nenow.in/north-east-news/assam/assam-cm-sarbananda-sonowal-inspects-embankment-construction-work-in-kaziranga.html#:~:text=Assam%20Chief%20Minister%20Sarbananda%20Sonowal%20on%20Wednesday%20inspected%20the%20construction,Kaziranga%20National%20Park%20(KNP).)

@Discussing the flood situation with Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal over phone, Modi also enquired about the COVID-19 scenario and the ongoing efforts to douse the raging blaze at the Oil India’s Baghjan gas well. (https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/pm-modi-speaks-to-assam-cm-over-flood-situation-assures-support/articleshow/77048246.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst)

@Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal visited Rohmoria in Dibrugarh and announced three schemes totaling Rs.25 crore for finding permanent solution to the problem of erosion caused by River Brahmaputra in the area. Three other schemes were announced by the state government in December last year for a total cost of Rs. 18 crore which are at different stages of implementation. (https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/assam-government-may-soon-announce-rehabilitation-policy-for-flood-hit-people/articleshow/76948507.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst)

@Though tea prices have risen by 25–40% on an average, industry executives say that lockdowns in the tea growing regions coupled with irregular movement of cargo and a drop in crop size is affecting the cash flows of tea companies. Last year, the tea estates of North Bengal and Assam had produced 370 million kg of tea in the January-June period. (https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/tea-production-down-by-more-than-10-due-to-heavy-rain-flooding-in-assam-and-west-bengal/articleshow/77069830.cms)

Here, are few mere questions in our minds that we ponder upon when we do not get the deserving limelight!

Who will enquire on the authenticity of these reports if not the media?

When will the long term measures be initiated?

What about the construction of the 2000 megawatts Lower Subansiri hydropower project and its consequences there upon?

HOW TO HELP US?

The same set of people are forced to suffer this disaster again and again because the land is bought and their fate is decided.All the remedies on Assam Flood Mitigation accounts to only 16.50 lakh hectares of flood area out of the total 31.50 lakh hectares according to R.B.A of Assam. And this flood zone is approximately 39.58% of Assam and 10.2% of India suggesting that the Assam Flood area is four times the national mark of the total flood zone in the country.

The funding from State, regional population and organisations cannot grant the necessary relief and management works for Assam so the state has to rely on the Union Government. Revenue comes from Flood Management Programme (FMP), State Plan, North Eastern Council (NEC), Joint River Commission (JRC), NABARD, ADB & World bank,etc.

Here is an appeal for my readers,

“Kindly donate your bit for the affected people to preach solidarity in times of suffering and misery. I am going to link or direct you to reliable fundraisers’ profiles where you can share your monetary assistance. Thank you in advance.”

(2) www.feedingindia.org/donate/assamfloodrelief

CREDITS:

Recurring Assam Floods- hear it in decibels

Here is an appeal for my readers,

Written by Anisha Miller