Floods have ravaged Assam for years, causing immense loss of life. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) recently reported a grim statistic in the Rajya Sabha (upper house of Parliament).
Heavy Casualties Over Five Years
According to information provided by the Assam government, a total of 880 people have perished in floods between 2019 and July 25, 2024. The year-wise breakdown is as follows:
2019: 157 deaths
2020: 190 deaths
2021: 73 deaths
2022: 278 deaths
2023 (till July 25): 65 deaths
2024 (till July 25): 117 deaths
Government Initiatives for Flood Management
The MHA also highlighted several initiatives undertaken by the central and state governments to manage the floods and mitigate their impact.
Flood Hazard Zonation Atlas: The National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have developed a flood hazard zonation atlas for Assam using satellite data. This tool helps with flood hazard management and development planning.
River Atlas and Flood Early Warning System: The North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC) has generated a River Atlas and a Flood Early Warning System (FLEWS) for the Brahmaputra basin. These resources provide crucial information for water resource management and issuing flood warnings with a lead time of 24 to 36 hours.
Central Water Commission (CWC) Efforts: The CWC issues flood forecasts and advisories to the state government and stakeholders. They maintain a network of hydrological observation sites in Assam for real-time data collection.
Assam Water Resources Department: The state government has implemented various flood and riverbank erosion management schemes. These include construction of embankments, anti-erosion works, and strengthening existing dykes.
Financial Assistance for Assam
The central government has provided significant financial assistance to Assam for flood relief and management. This includes:
State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF): Rs 503.10 crore in 2019-20, rising to Rs 680.80 crore in 2023-24.
National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF): Rs 44.37 crore in 2020-21 and Rs 250 crore in 2022-23.
State Disaster Management Fund (SDMF): Rs 154.40 crore annually from 2020-21 to 2022-23, with Rs 162.20 crore allocated in 2023-24.
While these initiatives aim to lessen the impact of floods, Assam continues to face the challenge of annual flooding. Continued efforts in flood management and resource allocation are crucial to protect lives and livelihoods in the region.
