Warned, Yet Unprepared

- Subhojit Goswami

AT LEAST five states in India are currently facing floods. What’s significant is that this is the third consecutive year when the semi-arid and desert states of Gujarat and Rajasthan are in the list.

Floods in India are becoming more unusual in scale, severity and scope, striking beyond the traditionally vulnerable states. Over 700 died in June and July due to floods this year, up from 475 in 2016, and Gujarat and Rajasthan account for nearly half the deaths. A 2015 report by the World Resources Institute, a Washington DC-based research organisation, named India as the country most exposed to risks of river flooding. Under such circumstances, India’s flood management system should have been reinforced. But that has not been the case, says a performance audit of India’s flood management schemes by the Comptroller and Auditor General (cag) of India.

The audit, tabled in Parliament on July 21, covered flood management schemes in 17 states and Union territories during 20072016. It looked into 206 projects under the Flood Management Programme (fmp), which was launched in 2007 to provide Central assistance to the states to manage floods; 38 flood forecasting stations (FFS) that observe water levels in major rivers; 68 large dams and 49 river management works under the River Management Activities and works related to Border Areas (RMABA); and, other schemes. An analysis of the report shows that India’s flood management is lacking in forecasting mechanisms, taking preemptive safety measures and in post flood management. It also shows that the Central funds given to the states were far less than what was promised, and highlights delays in flood management projects.

Flood forecast a non-starter