Whither permanent flood control measures?
This year flood has re-occurred within a short span of time causing havoc to people's life in the affected areas. Flood does not occur due to one or two days of heavy downpour rather it's an accumulation of water over a certain period which together with heavy rainfall and other factors causes floods in adjacent, specially lower riparian areas. Essentially it is a problem of drainage congestion.
The river Brahmaputra receives run off from some of the heaviest rainfall areas of earth. It includes lower Himalayan region, Assam Meghalaya hills. Just above the international boundary of Bangladesh the river Brahamputra enters into Bangladesh after making a nearly 90 degree down turn, which slows down the drainage of water thus causing floods during the monsoon. In that matter Padma (Ganges) river which enters into Bangladesh from India from the west also makes a sharp turn in order to flow out into the sea along with waters of Brahmaputra river and later Meghna river. According to Dr.Ainun Nishat an international water expert of Bangladesh the flow of three rivers (Brahmaputra, Padma and Meghna) produces a funnel like effect before emptying into the sea, which reduces the rate of drainage.
Bangladesh northern region is mostly plain land whereas the areas above it are of higher elevation and hilly which is also another reason for on rush of water into Bangladesh. If we look at Brahmaputra river we shall see that most of the smaller tributaries join it from the north west. These include incoming rivers such as Tista, Karatoya, Gumti and others, which add to the floodwater instead of draining it out. In contrast, there are less number of outgoing branches which carry out the function of draining water from Brahmaputra river. This is also one of the main reasons why drainage of Brahamputra river is not fast enough.
It seems that the frequency of larger floods has increased in the recent past. The reason for these are a) intensified and heightened monsoon rain, b) fast melting of Himalayan glaciers, c) sea level rise and tidal irregularities, d) increased turbulence in the rivers (leading to erosion and floods), e) increase in density of population, f) unplanned development, g) wanton felling of trees, h) reduction of water retention areas, i) silting and reclamation of rivers etc. Some of the reasons are due to the climatic change taking place in the world, which unfortunately has not yet been addressed properly by the international community.
After each flood our government responds by organising relief effort to provide succor and shelter to poor people. It deputes armed forces and mobilises local administration in the flood zones for relief and rehabilitation efforts. After the flood there is hardly any news about taking permanent measures to control flood. During the flood of 1998 it was reported in the newspaper that observation teams had visited flood effected southern districts to study flood. It is imperative that the government should take people into confidence by spelling out what measures it is contemplating towards permanent solution of flood. Government should act positively by committing financial resources towards flood mitigation measures. Sirajganj town is vulnerable to floods. Strengthening its existing embankments and constructing new ones could have saved the town which is the ground zero of this year's flood. Moreover there was an acute need for installing water pump stations to discharge trapped water inside the town. Employing these two methods of flood defences could save urban areas including Dhaka from future ravages of flood.
There is a need for rethinking on earthen embankment which gives up easily to flood water. Instead of it concrete or semi concrete embankments should be constructed as has been done in the United States after the storm Katrina. The government drawing upon the experience of Flood Action Plan should urgently design a master plan for a permanent structural and non-structural flood protection measures. The master plan should be implemented, if necessary, with the assistance of friendly states and international agencies. All the past governments have apparently neglected this issue.
During each flood the government requires to deploy people on short notice for management of relief and rehabilitation efforts. Our administration's human resources are often stretched beyond limit. As a part of self-help measures we should create a Natural Disaster Volunteer Service consisting of young people and whoever interested to render community service. Men and women especially of flood-effected areas should be encouraged to become members of this service. Such volunteer service on community basis could be organised at the villages, wards, upazilas and district towns and even metropolitan areas. Students of schools, colleges and universities could also be recruited for this purpose.
They should be trained in collection of relief goods, relief distribution, first aid and rescue, evacuating and caring of people, reconstruction work etc This could also provide an opportunity for our unemployed people to participate for public cause. When there is no flood members of the volunteer service could be used for planting trees and as a vigilante group to safeguard embankments and for protection of environment.
Our countryside has gradually been denuded of trees, which have protected and sustained our forefathers. So thin has become the tree line in the rural areas that we are easily become soft target of floods, cyclones, tornado and other natural calamities. Our forbearers also faced flood but then trees were there to protect them against run off of floodwater. If a volunteer service could be raised they could be a catalyst for a tree planting movement. In Bangladesh one does not need great care to grow trees. In the rural areas the soil is so fertile that even discarded seed blooms on its own. What is needed is little initiative, motivation and co-operation between different social groups and the government for tree plantation campaign. This can become our life saver.
Altafur Rahman is Manager (Legal Department), National Housing Finance And Investments Ltd
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