Why do rivers become villains if we have encroached their area?
By: Dr.Satyawan Saurabh
Rivers are an integral part of the roots of our civilization and the floods caused by them are also a part of our collective reality. If we say from the point of view of hydrology and meteorology, floods in India are directly related to the rains in the country during the monsoon season. The damage caused by floods is increasing continuously andthe main reason for this is that during the last few decades, economic activities have increased a lot in the areas falling into the submergence area. And, human settlements are expanding rapidly and people settling into the submergence area of rivers become victims of floods.
As a result, the natural flow area of the river starts appearing as a flood-prone area. In recent years, the pace of settlement of urban settlements has increased in the areas submerged by the water of rivers. For this reason, also, the scope of damage caused by a flood is increasing. Because with the increase in the geographical area and population of any city, the possibility of more and more people becoming victims of flood increases. As soon as the settlements start settling in the flood-affected areas, the path of flood water gets blocked. Due to this, the flood water cannot come out. Then dams are built around the settlements to protect them from flood water. Settlement of settlements in flood-affected areas and the formation of these dams also harm the ecosystem of river valleys and rivers.
In the first period, the man was a hunter, then started farming. After this, he started doing far away business and started usurping power in the name of business. This was followed by the Industrial Age and, last of all, the capitalist system that emerged after World War II. In each period, humans became more developed than before, and at the same time, the consumption of energy and natural resources increased. In each era, information also became more available than in the previous era. In every new period, the population also increased more than before.
Till now nature was more powerful than us, but the present era is the next stage of development, it can be called the human era because now man has full control over nature and human activities have become more powerful than nature. The challenge of evacuating people from every submergence area and resettling them elsewhere as per the guidelines is huge. And from its very beginning obstacles start coming. Even today, land acquisition is a big challenge. Governments have often been accused of not being fair in giving compensation and that government schemes for rehabilitating people are inadequate.
Therefore, the political benefits of maintaining the status quo are greater. Because in this every season work is done by giving relief and compensation to the flood victims. That is why other options are not considered by the states.
Apart from this, it is also to be noted here that urban dense settlements cannot be completely displaced. And for this, it is also necessary to make arrangements for their safety by building dams around these settlements. But, at the same time, it can be sure that further development of the infrastructure of the cities will be stopped. So that more settlements do not settle in the flood-affected areas. Another important thing to note here is that the zoning of the submergence area will benefit a large section of the population and area. For example, if the submergence area in the state of Assam is restored and the natural course of the Brahmaputra river is revived, its benefits will extend to Bangladesh. Because then there will be enough time between rains and flood water reaching the low-lying areas of Bangladesh.
Due to this, good water levels will also be maintained in the rivers for a long time. Here we have to accept that rivers are an integral part of this land area. In such a situation, humans have to conduct their activities within the limits set by natural conditions. In ancient times, the way human activities were conducted in harmony with the natural system. We have to think about adopting the same idea afresh. Only then we will be able to implement this important policy at the ground level, which has been gathering dust for years.
Overall, we have reached a very dangerous phase and human activities may become the cause of its destruction. In today’s era, the problem is not only destroying natural resources, but we are changing things. Changed the atmosphere, changed the composition of the land, moved from simple crops to genetically modified crops, started creating new animals, and tampering with life at the level of genes. Now the era of artificial intelligence has come. Everything may change on the earth in the coming time, but no one knows what effect it will have on nature.
Contrary to these challenges, if we try to prepare the natural flow of the rivers, then there are many possibilities for flood control in this too. This will also reduce the damage caused by floods. Land prices are not high in the areas where floods often occur. That’s why, only people from the weakest sections of society settle in such risky areas. Those who spend their life in a very dangerous place. They do not even get the benefit of government schemes and services. If such people are resettled to other places, they will have an opportunity to free themselves from the vicious cycle of poverty. They will be able to avoid the devastation of the floods that come every year. This will also help in conserving their limited capital resources.
The writer is a Poet, freelance journalist and columnist,All India Radio and TV panellist.
