Floods vs. Development

Floods have been a major deterrent in Assam’s road to development. Floods, along with river-bank erosion, have caused a loss to public and private property to the tune of Rs 17,500 crore in Assam since 2017. This newspaper, in its Sunday edition, quoting a recent state government report, has also given a year-wise break-up of this gigantic loss since 2017. In that year (2017), it recorded the highest-ever loss, amounting to Rs 4,358.81 crore. It is also important to keep in mind that though floods have been always referred to as a “natural” calamity, any sensible person with a little bit of homework will be able to ascertain that most of the reasons behind this cyclical scourge of Assam have been more “man-made” than natural. Deforestation, whether in the catchment areas in neighbouring states like Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Mizoram, or within the state of Assam, has its roots in inhuman acts of human beings, irrespective of whether such human beings are part of the government or of the public. Encroachment in forests in the catchment areas and along the riverbanks has been caused by human beings and not an act of nature. Corruption, the root cause behind poor construction of embankments, dykes, and other flood-protection measures, is an act of human beings, who are one hundred percent part of the government, and not an act of nature. Dumping of garbage and releasing industrial and municipal effluents to the rivers is an act carried out by human beings, both belonging to the government as well as the public, and is not an act of nature. Inaction against encroachers, tree-fellers, river-polluters, and corrupt officials on the part of the government and authorities concerned in different wings of the government has nothing to do with nature. Failure to convince New Delhi to declare Assam floods as a national problem is also not an act of nature but purely a case of inefficiency on the part of the elected representatives of the state. Nevertheless, the fact remains that development in Assam has suffered because of floods. Crores of rupees invested in creating various kinds of assets like embankments, roads, bridges, buildings, irrigation facilities, water supply facilities, private houses, and property including farm animals and poultry—all literally get washed away by the Brahmaputra every year. Unfortunately, very few people in Assam talk about development in the real sense of the term. Public organizations, educational institutions, student bodies, and other such bodies do not appear to engage much in issues related to development. Public leaders—both elected and self-appointed—hardly talk about development in the real sense of the term and spend most of their time and energy in mudslinging. Given this reality, one must also say that besides floods, lack of public engagement in development issues is also a major factor standing in the way of Assam’s development.