GUWAHATI, June 20 – The annual floods witnessed in Assam have been one of the primary factors behind its economic backwardness. It has resulted in losses worth hundreds of crores of rupees not to speak of the loss of human lives. In 2002 alone, the loss suffered by the State due to floods has been calculated at almost Rs 187 crore. On top of that 65 lives were lost due to the deluge. Figures supplied by the State Water Resources Department (WRD) say that during the Ninth Five Year Plan period, from 1997 to 2001, the State suffered losses worth Rs 789 crore. Almost 200 people lost their lives. The two worst years during this period were 1998 and 2000 in which the maximum losses were recorded.
The Brahmaputra and the Barak are the two main rivers that cause major problems during the monsoons every year in the shape of floods, bank erosion and drainage congestion. They have virtually destroyed the rural economy. The main factors behind the devastating floods are the adverse physiography of the region, heavy rainfall, excessive sedimentation, frequent earthquakes, hill and land sliding, reduction in forest cover and encroachment of riverine areas.
Floods and erosion in Assam cause enormous damage to crops, livestock, land and property. The National Flood Commission has estimated the area vulnerable to floods in Assam at 31.6 lakh hectares against 335.16 lakh hectares for the entire country. Assam thus accounts for 9.4 percent of the total flood-prone area of the country.
During 2002, floods, bringing untold misery upon 7.5 million people, affected a total of 674.148 hectares in the State. The surging waters eroded over 4000 hectares of land. It is not only the humans who suffer. From 1997 to 2002, the loss of cattle was 1,13,474. In the devastating floods of 1998 alone, 86,224 cattle heads were lost.
The loss of lives and property in Assam due to floods continue despite extensive flood control works in the State. From 1997-98 to 2002-03, an amount of Rs 77.72 crore was spent in undertaking different flood control measures in the State. Up to 2002-03, the State had 4,459 km of embankments and 850 km of drainage channels. Some 685 protection and anti-erosion works had been carried out and 85 major sluices erected. The WRD completed 92 flood damage repair schemes in different districts during 2002-03 spending Rs 27.6 crore.
From 1998-99 to 2002-03, Rs 36.79 crore has been spent under Central Loan Assistance, Rs 45.25 for schemes under the non-lapsable Central pool of resources, Rs 3.23 crore under NEC schemes and Rs 3.44 crore under JRC schemes, WRD figures say. During 2003-04, 44 new schemes are to be taken up with the total money involved being almost Rs 148 crore. Of that 13 schemes are in the State (general area) plan and 31 under the CSS plan.
According to the WRD, adoption of short-term measures has resulted in the protection of 16.18 lakh hectares of land from flood and erosion out of the 31.6 lakh hectares of flood-prone areas. For effective management of flood and erosion in the State long-term measures in the form of storage reservoirs in the upper catchment areas of the river basin and watershed management are considered very essential.