Nearly 73.06 per cent of the area of Bihar is prone to flooding. It is estimated that about half a million have migrated from the embanked Kosi region alone. In the face of mass exodus from the state, the resumption of flood control embankments aggravates the situation of countrywide condemnation and humiliation that migrant Biharis face. These structures have compelled them to migrate in search of livelihood.
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pix: Manish Sinha
A multidisciplinary 14 member Fact Finding Team has concluded its 8 daylong travel of the flood affected regions of North Bihar wherein it traversed along the embanked parts of Kosi, Kamala, Bhutahi Balan and Baghmati rivers. The visit from March 1-8, 2008, entailed visiting Khagaria, Saharsa, Supaul, Saptari, Kunauli, Kamalpur, Mahadeo Math, Nirmali, Ghoghardiha, Kosi barrage, Runni Saidpur, Sitamarhi, Vaishali and other places.
The manner in which floods have been amazingly sustained in this region despite over five decades of relentless efforts have been the core idea behind this voluntary mission.
Backed by volume of secondary literature but limited primary exposure of ground realities, this team is anguished to conclude that not only are these floods manmade but that the worse is yet to come should the political economy of flood control continue to pivot itself around `temporary embankment' as the only solution to the scourge of floods. The state pretends that it is afflicted by the colossal ignorance regarding the primary function of floodwater--draining out excess water and the fact that no embankment has yet been built or can be built in future that will not breach.
The team is outraged to report that the government's investment of over Rs 1600 crores since the early 1950's has helped increase the flood prone area from 25 lakh hectare during the pre-plan era to over 68.8 lakh hectare today, an unprecedented three-fold increase. Proposed as temporary measure to control floods in the 1950s and having had failed on all fronts, the team is bewildered to note that the business of embankment construction has resumed after a lapse of 17 years with a Rs 792 crores package to tame the Bagmati. There is another proposal to embank the tributaries of Mahananda at an estimated cost of Rs 850 crores. Clearly, the lessons in human misery have not been learnt.
That over 2 million people are permanently trapped between the flood control embankments and an equal number of people faced with acute water logging in the so-called flood protected areas, only exposes the stark failure of the state's democratic governance. The team observed the inevitability of migration due to loss of livelihood that is a consequence of state's benign intervention and its callousness. This exposes the migrant Bihari population to the wrath of perverted political monsters in Assam, Maharasthra, Punjab, and Delhi. Sporadic incidents across the country demonstrate state's collusive inaction. The team is astounded to observe that the state remains a mute spectator to the denial of basic rights of livelihood and instead it accentuates their misery by pretending ignorance about the outdated, tried, tested and failed technology of embankments as if it is caught in a time warp.
The team observed state's arrogance and misplaced faith in engineering that has stopped the natural process of `landbuilding' by these rivers, a process that had ushered in necessary socio-cultural conditions for emergence of `civilisation'. Need it be said that the marriage of natural capital and social capital had made Bihar the apex knowledge center. The total collapse of this knowledge culture within the state is a result of embankment of this capital.
The team notes that 8.36 lakh hectare of land in North Bihar is permanently waterlogged, which is nearly 16 per cent of the North Bihar's total area. Some 8 million people have been directly hit by water logging, earning the state the dubious distinction of being the leading claimant of this kind of manmade submergence. Draining vast stretches of waterlogged land is technologically and financially unfeasible. Can any welfare state afford to keep its most fertile lands under water?
The team witnessed how the poor and the powerless are obviously the main victims. It emerged from the narratives of the villagers that embankments are for the benefit of the contractor politicians and the technocratic development ideology to deal with flood suits them unmindful of the environmental and social mess.
As the embankment lobby has gained momentum once again, the fact that such interventions will raise river levels by several meters, making the land between the embankments uninhabitable for millions of people displacing them for good. The bitter experience of flood control embankments has given birth to a strong sentiment against it.
The team shockingly wondered about the land use change that has adversely affected the ecosystem of the region contributing to the rupture of its carrying capacity. It makes a classic case requiring urgent measures to undo the damages that appear beyond redemption.
The team examined the impact of flood control measures and the trends in consequent losses in the region. The team has inferred that migration is an indicator of the enormity of glaring state failure. Embankments remain the main loss-determining factor. The team calls for a white paper on the impact of existing embankments.
Those living today in the flood-affected region are promised other ecologically disastrous projects like Barahkshethra Dam and Interlinking of Rivers is like proposing one catastrophe to solve another a la devil and the deep sea.
The observations made by the team are its preliminary findings. The final and detailed report of the Fact Finding Team would be shared in due course.
Comments...
I wonder if the team has come to report the failure of the state Government to control the flood. It's not just the state's failure but the failure of the central government as well. I hope the team has been sent by the central government and at last the central government has now some ear for the flood problem in Bihar. I hope the central government will now no more fool the people of Bihar. Ganga and Koshi both don't originate in Bihar. The problem requires extensive research to arrive at any permanent solution.
Manoj Kumar
manoj.me@gmail.com
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Apropos the comments on the news report of Bihar Times, I wish to
inform you that the Fact Finding Team issued a Media Statement on 14th
March, 2008 titled "Parliament Flooded with Wrong Idea of Flood
Control Structures" wherein it said the following:
Union Ministry of Water Resources misled the Rajya Sabha on March 11,
2008 on the issue of 'Floods in North Bihar' that ensures a status quo
of misery in the region. In a Press Information Bureau release, it
claimed, "Government has taken various steps in the direction of water
management to stop the flood in North Bihar coming from the rivers of
Nepal. To control the floods in rivers Baghmati and Kamala-Balan in
North Bihar, the government has approved two schemes, namely, (i)
Raising and strengthening of embankments along River Baghmati at an
estimated cost of Rs 135.16 crores and (ii) Raising and strengthening
of embankments along River Kamala at an estimated cost of Rs 52.09
crores."
We are aware that the Ganga Flood Control Board is a creature of the
Government of India that created the Ganga Flood Control Commission
(GFCC) to undertake specific works in the Ganga Basin and for
assisting the Ganga Flood Control Boards. The GFCC is expected to
prepare master plan of the basin to deal with problems emerging from
flood erosion and waterlogging in the region. The implementation of
these will be carried out by the appropriate riparian state. A
chairman appointed by the Government of India (GOI) heads the
Commission. GOI also appoints two full time members. Basin states
appoint part time members of the commission. Don't we know that both
state and central government are hand in glove in perpetuating the
misery of North Biharis?
It is clear from the origin, functions and constitution of these
institutions that they are all structured for planning, design and
implementation of large projects. It is also clear that they do not
even intend to be participation oriented or open bodies.
Please wait for the final report of the team that would perhaps set at
rest any other misgivings.
Thanks
Gopal Krishna
(A MEMBER OF FACT FINDING TEAM)
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It is very unfortunate that there is always blame game , between State Govt. and Central Govt., about flood situation in Bihar since Independence. Since our childhood we have been listening India Govt. is talking to its Nepal Counterpart about flood situation in Bihar but no sustainable and permanent solution has been found so far . This voluntary mission has done the same thing terming whole Embankment policy big wrong and farce without giving any concrete solution to the problems . I know it is very easy to point out the mistakes of other but very - very tough to find feasible solution . I appeal , through this comment , to all technocrats, media men, politicians and intellectuals , having interest in Bihar and living in any parts of the world , to give suggestions to our Govts. to convert this challenge into opportunity as Our CM Sh .Nitishji has told earlier “People of Bihar has given us a chance to convert the challenges into opportunities”. It is a good chance that Union water resources minister of state is also hailing from Bihar. It is not a time to do sheer politics and political talks only as prestige of Biharis is at stake even we(Biharis} are very much laborious and comparatively honest . While many Northern , Western & Southern States are facing acute water shortage problem , Bihar is facing problems with water. I think it is problem of Water Management.. Govts. , both state and center , should take at most initiative to short out this problem by seeking International technical know-how, on very much priority basis, if India is really interested in its food security as some days earlier Dr.M.S. Swaminathan , father of Green Revolution ,had told “Bihar is sleeping giant”
Arvind Kumar , New-Delhi
pritu95@yahoo.co.in
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