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‘Limitations of embankments, dams are being realised’
Dinesh Kumar Mishra, coordinator of Barh Mukti Abhiyan (Freedom From Floods Campaign), has extensively researched Kosi and other river systems in Bihar and written several books on this subject. His work on floods has been widely cited during last two decades. He spoke to Bharat Dogra:
How long will it take for Kosi floods to subside?
The past experience with such embankment breaches has been that it is only around Holi (March next year) that the breach is plugged. Generally in February the water is at the lowest level making repairs possible. When the breaches have taken place below the barrage it has been possible to manipulate the river flow, but this year the breach is above the barrage. So a substantial number of people will have to be housed in camps till March, although some will leave as the water in these villages recedes. Cultivation will be possible only in some upland areas. Eastern Kosi canal has also been silted. Over a longer term people will have to struggle with the sand in their fields.
Some have called this Bihar’s worst flood. The situation is very tragic, but to place matters in perspective last year about 2.5 crore people in Bihar were affected by floods. The number this year is about one-fifth or so! One million people living within the Kosi embankments experience extreme distress from floods almost every year.
In addition, there are lakhs of other people trapped in other embankments who suffer every year. The situation is similar in Assam and other states. This year in Bihar actually the flood flows have not been the worst and it was due to gross negligence that even relatively less flood flow could cause such a breach and such huge damage.
Has the existing floodcontrol strategy failed? What are the alternatives available?
All over the world, the limitations of embankments and dams for flood control are being increasingly realised. But if you’ve already built embankments, then at least try to maintain these. Here the maintenance too has been very faulty resulting in all too frequent breaches. The entire work of construction and repairs has got entangled in corruption and vested interests. But let’s also face the wider truth that even if embankments are well maintained, their ability to control floods will be substantially reduced with the passage of time, particularly in case of rivers which bring a lot of silt.
We must look at the tradition of these flood-prone villages where people had learn to live with moderate levels of floods. Their lifestyle, housing, food habits, farming were all linked to it. The waters of the free-flowing rivers were never so destructive and also brought fertile silt to fields. I am not saying that we can go back in time but the experts should speak a lot to people, particularly elders, and learn about their coping mechanisms.
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‘Limitations of embankments, dams are being realised’
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