Floods Made in India: Are We the Problem?

Recent major floods in India, impacting states like Bihar and Assam, are a stark reflection of human decisions rather than solely climatic conditions. A landslide in Nepal in August sent debris into India, contributing to rising waters. In Bihar, river embankments have more than doubled since 1954, raising riverbeds and increasing flood-prone areas to 6.8 million hectares, leading to severe breaches.

Scientific analysis of Assam's floods revealed that rainfall was not extreme, but rather that unplanned construction, poor drainage, and silt-trapping embankments manufactured the disaster. India has had a Model Bill on Flood Plain Zoning since 1975 to regulate building near rivers, but only three states have adopted it, and enforcement is weak.

This consistent prioritization of visible relief operations over preventative measures means the flood problem is escalating. Politicians favor the public acclaim of distributing aid over the less visible work of flood prevention. The center provides funds, states build, and local governments lack the power to stop detrimental land-use decisions, creating a cycle of blame with no accountability.

To break this cycle, funding for prevention must be secured, and relief funds should be contingent on actual floodplain regulations. Local governments need the authority and financial means to halt hazardous construction. Furthermore, since rivers cross borders, like the one from Nepal into India, collaborative data sharing and joint planning are essential, moving beyond just post-event rescue.