Droughts and Floods

Sri. Dinesh Kr. Mishra reviews the relief efforts following the severe flooding of Bihar earlier this year. We have several earlier blog posts regarding the floods: https://www.indiawaterportal.org/blog/index.php/category/bihar-floods/

There is good news from the relief front from Bihar this year and that is definitely a healthy sign for future. It is there because for many years in the past, the relief scene used to be chaotic and 2004 flood relief scandal was the logical end of the goings on in relief distribution. A slight change for the better is greeted with cheers from all quarters. Providing relief is a state subject and the Central Government helps the states in some ways in managing relief to the flood victims. Twelfth Finance Commission has revised the standards set for relief under Calamity Relief Fund (CRF) and recommended it to be effective from June this year (2007). It is intended to glance through the relief operations in Bihar in the backdrop of standards and recommendations set by the Government. Government of Bihar submitted a memorandum for assistance to the Central Government on 28th August 2007. By that time 9939 villages in 225 blocks of 20 districts with a population of 20.4 million was hit by floods. GoB anticipated that by the time the floods are over, some 25 million people would be hit by the current floods. Some 515 persons were killed in the floods (projected 600), 512,000 houses were destroyed (projected 6 lakhs) and standing crops over 16.4 lakh hectares was submerged till then. Besides, there was an extensive damage to National and State Highways, breaches in embankments, damage to health infrastructure, industries, fisheries, energy and cattle. GoB had put its losses at Rs 8000 Crores and requested the Government of India GoI for immediate help. Of the requested amount, over half the demand (Rs. 4,130 Crores) was from the Disaster Management Department (DMD) of the state to cover the costs of food assistance ( @ one quintal wheat/ rice for estimated 6 lakh families), house rebuilding grant, distribution of polythene sheets, emergency cooked food and deployment of helicopters etc. The other departments of the state have put their demands separately.

Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite captured images of flooded Brahmaputra River.

The subtitle is "Colonial Capitalism and Flood Control in Eastern India"

Author : Rohan D'Souza Oxford University Press

Notes on flood situation district-wise in Khagaria, Sahasra, Supaul, Madhubani, and West Champaran districts of Bihar.These were compiled by the Megh Pyne Abhiyan, a network of NGOs in North Bihar. (Due to the difficulty of the ground situation some inaccuracies may be present)

"Water Initiatives Orissa is a five-year-old campaign which draws strength from civil society organsations, grassroots communities, academicians and others who are determined to work on water, disasters and climate change issues". Email: waterinitiativesorissa@gmail.com

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This is a snippet from Dinesh Kr. Mishra's book "Living With the Politics of Floods: The Mystery of Flood Control".