Droughts and Floods

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December 12, 2022 Study looks at behavioral biases in crop insurance adoption
Adoption rate of crop insurance low in India despite government efforts (Image: PxHere, CC0 Public Domain)
October 30, 2022 This book by Dr. Mitul Baruah presents a fascinating, ethnographic account of the challenges faced by communities living in Majuli, India, one of the largest river islands in the world, which has experienced immense socio-environmental transformations over the years, processes that are emblematic of the Brahmaputra Valley as a whole. This is an excerpt from the book.
Floods are recurrent phenomena in Assam (Image: Mitul Baruah)
September 13, 2022 Heavy rains and floods have battered Bengaluru yet again. Uncontrolled and unregulated development and concretisation of the city that pays no heed to the ecology and hydrology of the region needs to stop!
Urban flooding in Bangalore (Image Source: Thejas via Wikimedia Commons)
August 21, 2022 Floods are not feared, but rather welcomed by the Mishing communities from Majuli island in Assam as they bring bountiful fish- a rich source of food, nutrition and livelihood for the community.
The Majuli island, a haven for fish (Image Source: Usha Dewani, India Water Portal)
August 10, 2022 The irrigation at all costs mindset and narrow policies for drought protection during the colonial rule ignored rainfed agriculture and local practices that sustained agriculture in the Bombay Deccan. This continues even today.
Recurrent droughts and the struggle for survival (Image Source: Gaurav Bhosale via Wikimedia Commons):
August 2, 2022 The frequency and intensity of floods is on the rise in Assam spelling doom for fish biodiversity.
Life during floods in Assam (Image Source: Kausika Bordoloi via Wikimedia Commons)
Organisations accepting donations at the wake of the Bihar floods, 2008
A list of organizations garnering funds and volunteers to help people in the flood hit districts of Bihar Posted on 04 Sep, 2008 08:46 AM

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Courtesy: biharfloodrelief2008.blogspot.com 

Sri. Dinesh Kumar Mishra on the flooding of Kosi basin,2008
Shri Dinesh Kumar Mishra of Barh Mukti Abhiyan has been campaigning on the flood issues for a long term. Following is a note from him on the historical context of flooding in the Kosi basin Posted on 03 Sep, 2008 07:06 PM

Dr. Jagannath Mishra, former Chief Minister of Bihar, has given a pathetic description of floods in Bihar. He said that "Nobody from the government has gone to Saharsa so far. If the people in Saharsa are surviving, they must be saying that we are engulfed in water since ten days and nobody is there to think about us. This is quite worrisome. I will suggest that we must try to look after those surviving there. We must try to save them, whether by boats or a helicopter.. The flood in Saharsa is not a flood, this is unprecedented¦.we cannot call it a flood, it is a deluge." But wait, he is not talking about the recent floods (2008) in Bihar. He was making a speech in the Bihar Vidhan Sabha on the 13th September 1984 about a similar incident that took place on the 5th September 1984 near Navhatta in Saharsa district of north Bihar when the Kosi had breached its embankment at 75th kilometer south of the much talked about Bhimnagar Barrage and come out of the jacket just as it happened at Kusaha this year. Obviously, the powers that be refuse to take any lessons from the past mistakes and their executive wing, the Water Resources Department, is immune to any criticism and learning. The 1984 incident had uprooted nearly half a million people from their homes and hearths and engulfed 96 villages spread over 7 blocks of Saharsa and Supaul districts then. They could return to their homes only after the Holi festival in March 1985.

On the book shelf: Interlinking of Rivers in India, Issues and Concerns
On the book shelf: Interlinking of Rivers in India, Issues and Concerns Posted on 31 Aug, 2008 10:26 AM

untitled1.jpg Key Features: Reviews the risks of inter-basin water transfers warns of critical disadvantages with India's proposed ILR plan offers viable less-risky solutions for water resource development. Inter-basin water transfers are complex human interventions on natural systems that can have profound adverse as well as beneficial social, economic and environmental implications. India's plan to interlink its rivers (ILR) and to transfer water may, according to one set of views, generate positive benefits through improved and expanded irrigation and may also contribute to flood and drought hazards mitigation for India, although the magnitudes are debatable. However, there are opposing views, in the context of India itself, that the interlinking plan is economically prohibitive, fraught with uncertainties, and has potential for disastrous and irreversible adverse after-effects. Water deficit can be reduced through improved water management without large scale engineering interventions. Moreover many of the rivers involved, particularly in the Himalayan component, are international and, therefore, the scheme has major implications for other riparians. Indeed, the planned transfer of water from the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers will adversely impact Bangladesh socially, economically and environmentally---unless arrangements are made to maintain historical flows, which is unlikely to be feasible.

Flood situation report in Supaul district compiled by Megh Pyne Abhiyan
Flood situation report in Supaul district compiled by Megh Pyne Abhiyan Posted on 28 Aug, 2008 09:42 AM

About the Report: The flood situation report has been a joint effort of Megh Pyne Abhiyan's (literally clouds' water campaign, involving people around the issue of water and livelihood, and a functional network of grassroots organizations) partners - Gramyasheel, Supaul; Kosi Seva Sadan, Saharsa; Samta, Khagaria, Ghoghardiha Prakhand Swarajya Vikas Sangh, Madhubani; SAVERA, West Champaran; Luisa Cortesi and Eklavya Prasad in assistance with Santosh Jha of Gram Bharti, Raghopur.Supaul. For compiling the situation report, two days of field visit was undertaken by the team, involving extensive interaction with affected villagers from India and Nepal, discussion with members of civil society groups, deliberations with government officials (Sub Divisional Magistrate and Dy Superintendent of Police, Tribeniganj; District Magistrate, Supal) and internal exchange of idea between the partners of Megh Pyne Abhiyan (MPA) and the supporting organizations. During the field visit, the group started to explore the option of establishing a district level coordination group comprising of eminent personalities and professionals, representatives of non governmental organizations and media, to coordinate and steer the rescue and relief work with individuals, government agencies, non government organizations, donor agencies, corporate bodies etc. Hence, on 25th August during a district level meeting of local organizations, activists and donor agency, a consensus was reached to set up a coordination group, named as the Flood Action Coordination Group (FACG), Supaul.

General overview of the River: On the 18th of August the eastern embankment of Kosi near Kusaha in Nepal's Sunsari district breached. The breach itself has caused colossal loss of life and property in the south east tarai region of Nepal and in six districts of north Bihar, affecting more than 2.5 million human lives. After the breach, the river has shifted its course nearly 100 kilometres (kms) eastward from its earlier course (which use to pass through the districts of Supaul, Saharsa, Madhubani, Darbhanga and Khagaria).

Access the entire report:

Environmental flows discussion-From the perspective of the National Water Academy
Environmental flows discussion-From the perspective of the National Water Academy Posted on 02 Jul, 2008 09:31 AM

Parineeta Dandekar's earlier post on environmental flows, triggered several responses and we have initiated a discussion forum

Latest from AAQ and discussion forum
Discussion on drought mitigation techniques and methods
Posted on 17 Jun, 2008 09:40 AM

Would you throw your lot in with cloud seeding, or have ideas regarding conservation and regulated usage? Feel free to join in and have your say, access the Drought Mitigation Discussion here

Utility of ecosan in flood-prone rural Bangladesh
Videoblogging from S.Vishwanath of the Rainwater Club Posted on 05 May, 2008 07:48 AM

Subject: Ecosan

Duration: 1:20 mins

NDMA guidelines for urban flood disaster management: Early warning systems installed in Mumbai
NDMA guidelines for urban flood disaster management: Early warning systems installed in Mumbai Posted on 04 Feb, 2008 04:06 AM

Two press releases on the work being done by the National Disaster Management Authority regarding early warning systems for flooding, guidelines for management of urban flooding and more : http://www.pibmumbai.gov.in/scripts/detail.asp?releaseId=E2008PR58

"Bagmati Calling" : Dharna by villagers demanding rehabilitation
"Bagmati Calling" : Dharna by villagers demanding rehabilitation Posted on 16 Jan, 2008 08:58 AM

The Bagmati Calling : I am reporting from the south bank of the Bagmati near Benipur in Muzaffarpur district of Bihar.

Potential impacts of climate change
Two inputs regarding climate change Posted on 11 Jan, 2008 01:50 AM

 A visual depiction of potential climate change impacts across the world from the National Geographic Channel. Below is a screen capture, click on the link to see the full application.

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