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.

Water and culture : Celebration of floods in Kosi

The Celebration of Floods

Related Stories