Can India rise above the flood fury?

The majority of Indian states saw monsoon rainfall that was above average in 2024. The monsoon winds often return to India in September from the northwest states, but this year (2024) they are bringing with them significant rainfall to Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and other states. Monsoon winds and rain in July and August have caused a great deal of damage in the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Tripura, Kerala, and a few more states.

A series of landslides in Kerala's Wayanad district during the final week of July claimed the lives of almost 400 people because of intense rainfall. Eight people died in Delhi during the first monsoon rains, 35 in Rajasthan and Gujarat in August and September, and 75 in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. In several of the states, there have also been significant financial losses in addition to fatalities. Roads have been interrupted in several locations by landslides in the mountainous states. Many multi-story structures (hotels, motels, etc.) that were constructed alongside rivers have either been submerged by falling mountains or consumed by the rivers.

Water may be seen everywhere, even in cities and villages and on plains. Storm drains have been installed on roadways. High-speed water flows across bridges, railway tracks, and other surfaces. Three people in Delhi and two in Faridabad were among the five people who perished in flooded underpasses within the National Capital Region. Every year, floods cause enormous losses in a variety of ways, including substantial damage to homes, businesses, crops, and infrastructure, as well as fatalities among humans and animals in many states.

Let's start with the climate change issue. The average temperature of Earth is increasing quickly. 2023 has been the warmest year ever recorded. The earth's average temperature has risen by almost 1 degree Celsius from the pre-industrial revolution period, according to a number of international authorities. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the United States estimates that this rise in 2023 will be 1.38 degrees Celsius, whereas the Copernicus Climate Change Service in Europe projects an increase of 1.48 degrees Celsius.

Any increase in temperature, no matter how slight, counts. One degree Celsius increase in temperature increases the frequency and intensity of heat waves by five times, the number and intensity of short-term downpour events by seven times, the speed of hurricane winds by five times, and the frequency and intensity of wildfires by several times. Consequently, there is a sharp rise in the frequency of natural disasters in practically every nation on the planet. No country on Earth will be able to escape the detrimental consequences of climate change if greenhouse gas emissions are not drastically cut, as stated in the Fifth (2014) and Sixth (2021–2022) reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. These assessments also claimed that China and India will be more vulnerable to the effects of climate change than any other country.

According to this research, India is seeing an increase in natural catastrophes on a daily basis as a result of climate change. Climate change has increased the frequency of natural catastrophes, but human activity has also enhanced the severity of their effects. Due to human activity, river flows have been altered. Large dams have been built on rivers, turning them into streams and seasonal river channels. Various structures have also been built on the flood plains and catchment regions of rivers. Natural catastrophes like floods are occurring more frequently as a result of human activity because of the sites where rainfall used to collect—lakes, ponds, and low-lying regions of cities and villages.

Constructions in the flow region of seasonal rivers, ponds, and lakes caused devastating floods in Srinagar in 2014, Chennai in 2015, Kerala in 2018, and Bangalore in 2022. The development of new buildings on nearby water bodies, like as lakes and ponds, is the primary cause of the water buildup in Delhi and Gurugram following even small rainfall. Rainfall used to be carried to Najafgarh Lake by seasonal streams and drains in Gurugram, however, because of development, the rainfall began to overflow the roadways. Significant losses were also incurred by Andhra Pradesh and Telangana as a result of building on the Krishna and Godavari river basins.

Low rainfall caused the seasonal stream known as Kak, which formerly flowed through the Chunghi region of Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, to disappear. The dried-up and deserted stream basin and its catchment region have been the site of several building projects. This year's severe rains forced the streams to overflow, flooding the buildings that were erected beside them and causing significant damage.

Kerala's majority of the land is classified as an environmentally sensitive zone. The Gadgil Committee study states that 87% of the Western Ghats region is located in an area that is susceptible to environmental changes. The Committee advised against mining, building (including new dams and towns), and other activities in this area. However, the Kerala government disregarded the findings and permitted the continued operation of these activities in an area that is sensitive to environmental changes. As a result of mineral extraction, hollow hills landslided during heavy rains, causing the Wayanad tragedy.

While climate change contributes to an increase in natural catastrophes like floods, human activity is ultimately responsible for greater harm. In order to eliminate the destruction caused by floods, the federal and state governments should impose stringent regulations on development in all regions of the nation, including hills, plains, villages, and towns. These regulations should include building four-lane roads and damming rivers, and before beginning any construction, a geological survey and environmental impact assessment of the specific site should be conducted. In addition, locals' opinions ought to be considered.

Construction of any sort should be completely prohibited in the catchment regions and floodplains of rivers and streams to facilitate the management of natural disasters (such as floods) brought on by seasonal climate change. All seasonal streams and drains should be thoroughly cleaned prior to the start of the monsoon. This is because, after years of neglect, seasonal streams and drains can accumulate muck and silt in addition to other kinds of vegetation. This causes a loss in their ability to carry water, which causes water to overflow their banks and onto the surrounding areas, where it takes the form of floods.

Lakes, ponds, and other bodies of water that served as sources of rainwater storage have been encroached upon during urban and rural building. As a result, water from these bodies of water begins to run onto the roads following rainfall. Recharge wells should be built where water collects after rainfall, such as low-lying regions and road underpasses, to prevent this. When building roads and dams in ecologically vulnerable locations, explosive materials should not be utilised at all to limit the incidence of landslides in hilly terrain. Instead of four-lane highways in the mountainous places, the width of the roads should be as per the capacity of the area. Rainwater conservation should be done on top priority from individual to national levels.

Author

Gurinder Kaur is a former professor, Department of Geography, Punjabi University, Patiala.