Why India’s Northeast region, Assam’s biggest flood disaster is associated with Climate Change?– An overview

Shreya Shaw

Photo: Internet (ANI photo) 

The river Brahmaputra cuts northeast India’s biggest state, Assam, into two halves – the North and the south banks. Every year Assam faced devastating floods. During the post-independence period, Assam faced major floods in 1954, 1962, 1972, 1977, 1984, 1988, 1998, 2002, 2004, 2012, 2014 and added years 2020. Almost every year, three to four waves of flood ravage the flood-prone areas of Assam. Average annual loss due to surge in Assam is to the tune of Rs. 200.00 Crores and particularly in 1998, the loss suffered was about Rs. 500.00 Crores and during the year 2004 it was about Rs. 771.00 Crores (Government of Assam, 2020). This becomes the natural phenomenon for this region, but why it occurred year after year?

 

The Brahmaputra:

The largest river of India’s Northeast Brahmaputra is both lifeline and menace to Assam. It has a large river system, of multiple channels and water bodies, crisscrossing large parts of Assam. The Brahmaputra originates from the Angsi glacier located in the northern part of the Tibetan plateau, Himalayan. In Tibet, the name of the Brahmaputra is the Yarlung Tsangpo. After that, the Brahmaputra streams eastwards parallel to the Himalayan. Where it arrives at the Namcha Barwa, which is the mountain in the Tibetan Himalayan. Then it entered Arunachal Pradesh in India, i.e. river of the Brahmaputra.

 

The Tibetan plateau is the highest and most abundant in the world. In height around 4 to 5 M above the sea level. From the top when the river Brahmaputra arrives towards the low valley or plain land in Assam, it contains a large scale of fertile and soils with it (Government of Assam). Along the way, in Assam, several river streams joined the Brahmaputra, namely Subansiri, Ronganadi, Dikrong, Buroi, Borgong, Jiabharali, Dhansiri (North) Puthimari, Manas, Beki, Aie, Sonkosh are the main tributaries on the North. At the same time, the Noadehing, Buridehing, Desang, Dikhow, Bhogdoi, Dhansiri (South), Kopilli, Kulsi, Krishna, Dhdhnoi, Jinjiran are the main tributaries on the south bank of the river Brahmaputra. 

 

The Brahmaputra’s sub-basin extends over an area of 580,000 sq.km lyings in Tibet (China), Bhutan, India, and Bangladesh. Climate change effects rising global temperature in worldwide also the Himalayan Glacier Mountains are melting very high. As a result, all these rivers and tributaries of the Brahmaputra are overflowing way above their dangerous level. As a consequence, the neighboring plain and low areas of the region are severely affected by sessional devastating monsoon flood that affects the livelihood of the Assam. 

         

The Assam- Tibet earthquake in 1950 impacted the Brahmaputra river basin. As a result, the evolution of geomorphic changes in the river basin that also effected and changed the fluvial pattern of the river. The visible impact of Climate Change, on the River basin, for instance, the Majuli River Island (the Ganga–Brahmaputra–Meghna river basin) and the glacial ice melt from the Himalayas and Tibet that triggers floods and bank erosion induced displacement of people and it affected a lot. (Das, 2015). 

 

Embankments: 

Embankments are the temporary flood measures; Assam governments have spent crores of money upon it year after year. Flood control in Assam lacks a comprehensive vision and long-term planning. For instance, the largest river island of Majuli on the Brahmaputra now reduced to 50 % of its size. Erosion elsewhere reduces the land size of Assam every year. North Lakhimpur, one of the flooded areas in Assam in 2008, has reported earth embankments that at best are temporary flood management measures. To till date, over 4,000 km of earth embankments have raised. But when the Brahmaputra breaks its banks, these embankments come down like a house of cards. The same embankments costing several crores of rupees raised the next year again. The aid package comes in, sometimes after a year and then things are back to business as usual. Out of a total land area of 7.8 million hectares in Assam, more than 2.8 million hectares or 36% of the total area is affected by floods from time to time (MUKHIM, 2014). These temporary measures like embankments also trooped due to lack of planning of the Assam government and people those are staying inundating areas are also not aware of its consequences. Because the river Brahmaputra is becoming so devastating year after year due to the large scale of melting glaciers of Himalayan mountain streams which effect the region of Assam a lot.   

    

Dehing and Patkai:

The rich biodiversity of Northeast India is a matter of concern. Dehing and Patkai wildlife sanctuary called “Amazon of the East, Rain Forest, Elephant Reserves” for the rich diversity of the land. Dehing-Patkai landscape comes under Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot for its rich flora and fauna diversity. This landscape is home to various IUCN listed species like- Asian Elephant, Royal Bengal Tigers, Indian Leopard, Clouded Leopard, Himalayan Bear, Pangolin, Wild Cat, Barking Deer, Hoolock Gibbon, Slow Loris, Pig-Tailed Macaque, Stump-Tailed Macaque, and Capped Langur. Apart from these, there are 293 species of bird, 30 species of butterflies, 47 species of reptiles, 24 species of amphibians including around 100 species of orchids. 

 

Coal mining in Dehing and Patkai is now a matter of violation of the Forest (Conservation) Act 1980 and Coal Mines Act (Special Provisions) 2015. The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) determined for industrial and infrastructure projects within the wildlife sanctuary. The ministry has proposed a new set of rules, i.e. the draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA). The National Board of Wildlife (NBWL) passed the recommendation of coal mining in January 2020, which is the threat of biological diversity upon the region. Environmentalists, climatologists, ecologists, conservationists, naturalists, and many scientists working for the environment and less pollution-free forest and reserve activates but this coal mining was the biggest threat for natural habitat and environment, and climate causes for the region like Assam. 

 

The National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) has given permission to the Coal India Limited for extraction of 98.59 hectares land of saleki which is belonging to the Dehing Patkai Wildlife Reserve. The area is already threatened by pollution due to industries and refineries nearby. Dehing and Patkai are located in the Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and Sivasagar districts of Assam, and it covers a total area of 111.19 sq. Km. Dehing is the river that flows through this forest, and Patkai is the name of the hill on the foot of which it lies. The forest region is also the habitation for a dozen different ethnic groups including Assamese communities, Tai Phake, Khamyang, Khamti, Moran, Ahom, Muttack, Nepali people, and Tea-tribes. But the central government is trying to harm the environment of Dhing Patkai, Assam. Recently the massive tree cutting for coal mining can brings a countless threat of the Himalayan belt region of Assam. Recently year after year the gigantic floods of Assam in monsoon season it becomes distressing. Hence these coal mining, rampant tree cutting, destroying the natural diversity, and animals may also create a cause for uncertain rainfall, heavy rainfall, and climate temperature fluctuation among the Himalayan belt regions.  

 

Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR):

Every year deluge is essential for the UNESCO World Heritage Site recognized - Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR). The annual flood is good for its wildlife sanctuary. It helps replenish Kaziranga’s water bodies and maintain its landscape, a mix of wetlands, grasslands, and semi-evergreen deciduous forests. The waters also help get rid of unwanted plants such as water hyacinth which collect in huge masses in the landscape. If it were not for the annual floods, the area would become a woodland. Former big floods come after ten years; presently, it comes every year. It happened due to extreme Clime Change. In 2016 to 2020 Kaziranga faced high floods; as a result, more than 60 percent of the park underwater and hundreds of animals were killed and injured. 

 

The state government of Assam should take measure steps on the World Heritage environmental sanctuary like Dehing, Patkai, and Kaziranga Park mostly in-sessional flood times mostly when the flood lines have crossed its level towards unsafe. The digging and coal mining works should be barred soon. It causes the sessional to flood more dangerous harmed upon lands and the environment. The low land areas near the river the Brahmaputra take management and measures to control upon making houses and buildings as well it impacted the ground more and losing embarkments. The IPCC has recognized the health threat, nature threat and water threats will be our future next generations’ problem. Hence take a step ahead not to react but act.       

 

About the Author

                                                          

Shreya Shaw, a Post Graduate Scholar, is now pursuing her Master’s in Politics and International Studies from Pondicherry University, India. She completed her Bachelor's degree from the University of Calcutta. She has several work experiences with Nepal Institute of International Cooperation and Engagement (NIICE), The Koothneeti– Asia Desk, Contributor to The Diplomatists and, BK School of Research. Her interest areas are Non- Traditional Foreign Affairs, India’s Soft Power Diplomacy, Border Diplomacy, Flood & Culinary Diplomacy, Climate Change policies and SDGs as well. She has several publications.  

 

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