Roadmap for disaster risk reduction

Assam Cabinet's approval to separate allocation of three per cent of annual budget of each depart ment for disaster reduction is a strategic shift to whole-of-government approach in disaster management. The new strategy adopted under the Assam Disaster Risk Reduction Roadmap 2030 approved by the Cabinet will be useful in ensuring year-long focus in disaster risk reduction, which in turn will witness improved post-disaster management. Meticulous planning will be required to ensure that works, schemes, programmes, and activities of various departments do not overlap, and fund earmarked by each department is judiciously utilized. Currently, the pre-disaster activities are primarily seen in the form of repairing and strengthening of embankments, anti-erosion measures, flood damage repair for flood management and advocacy on disaster preparedness. As fund to be separately allocated will form non-salary component of annual budget of each department, entire amount will be available for disaster reduction measures. Imparting skills for alternative livelihood to members of households dependent on farming as the only means of livelihood can help absorb financial shocks triggered by crop loss in recurring waves of flood. Identification of the right skills for flood-affected households is critical to successful application of acquired skills for alternative livelihood avenues when household income is reduced due to flood or erosion. Deposition of sand on cropped land, for instance, renders affected farmers' plot unsuitable for same crop in which they have the expertise and skills. In erosion-affected areas, many farm families become landless and with traditional farming skills they become agricultural farm labourers but earnings from daily wages cannot make both ends meet. Such deteriorating financial situation prompts other family members to migrate to cities, towns and urban to pick up unskilled low-paid daily wage-earning works mostly in construction sector. Imparting skill training can help them find better livelihood avenues with higher wages and higher remittance can help affected households to mobilize require capitals for investment in agricultural activities. Imparting skills for value addition to farm produce such as setting up food processing units can build resilience of farm families affected by annual flood but will require a coordinated approach by various departments such as Agriculture, Horticulture, Industries and Commerce, Power, Skill, Employment and Entrepreneurship, Power Department with each department incorporating its component in the value chain either in the separate budget dedicated for disaster risk reduction or in overall budget for similar work or projects. Participatory approach is essential to ensure that communities do not remain a passive beneficiary of disaster management but become active participants in risk mitigation. The Revenue and Disaster Management department being the nodal department for overall disaster with its mandate to coordinate with all line departments, need to ensure that there is no overlapping when it comes to drawing up plans for utilization of 3% separate budget allocation for disaster risk reduction. Each line department having a separate allocation will go a long way in better planning. The Education Department will now be able to prepare an alternative site for running of educational institutions if river continues to erode land of an institution along the riverbank and shift to safer location well in time so that there is no loss of learning on account of the disaster. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources reiterated its recommendation soil river erosion in the admissible list of disasters/calamities for funding from State Disaster Risk Mitigation Fund or the National Disaster Risk Mitigation Fund in view of the fact that the riverbank erosion has caused major human and economic disasters as the loss of land due to erosion is permanent and has a long-term impact on the economy of the region and its people. An estimated 8000 hectares of land is lost annually in Assam due to erosion due to which over 2500 villages have been eroded away over the past six decades. Assam is among those states which are yet to enact floodplain zoning bill to prevent any further construction activities on floodplains. The Model Bill for Flood Plain Zoning provides for Flood Plain Zoning Authority to be constituted by State governments with a Governing Body under Chairmanship of the Chief Minister of the respective States which will delineate flood plain zones and other measures for keeping flood plains encroachment free. Further, it has provision for 'No Development Zone', 'Controlled Development Zones' and 'Development Zones' which are to be notified. The parliamentary panel drew the attention of the central and state governments that one of the prime reasons for extensive damage caused due to floods is ever increasing human habitations and encroachment of the flood plains but resource mobilization for compensatory rehabilitation continues to be huge challenge. Without adequate financial support from the central government for anti-erosion measures and for rehabilitation of erosion-hit families, significant disaster risk reduction will remain a far cry even after adoption of the new strategy and approach.