The monsoon is the lifeline of India, with nearly 44 per cent of its population depending on agriculture for their survival. However, the country is no stranger to monsoon fury, which can throw the entire system into disarray. The recent floods in Assam, which affected nearly 5.5 lakh people, are the latest example of the severity of torrential rains.
Assam lost 12,610.27 hectares of standing paddy crop, jute and various pulses to these floods, with 31,212 people housed in 322 government relief camps. In addition, 1.54 lakh people are being supported in relief distribution centres across the state, seeking assistance from the government. Additionally, 1,000 animals, mostly livestock, were washed away by the floodwaters.
The deep depression over coastal Bangladesh and West Bengal evolved into a well-marked low-pressure area over parts of northeast India, resulting in heavy flooding. While no human defence can withstand the fury of such rain, the state administration should pre-plan scenarios to mitigate potential losses.
The impact of the Assam floods could have been reduced if the administration had taken cognisance of an alert issued by the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) regarding the release of water from the Panyor Dam in Arunachal Pradesh. However, the Lakhimpur district administration appears to have missed the alert, leading to the dam water submerging nearly 100 villages within five hours.
It is astounding that, in the age of fast-paced communication, both the dam operators and the local administration were found lacking in coordination. During emergencies, communication cannot be treated as routine. An element of redundancy is a must to ensure the message is properly understood by the receiver. Efficient administrators also ensure that multiple channels of communication are used to reach everyone concerned. If the dam operator had been allowed to relay messages about the opening of the dam’s floodgates.�
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