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Flood damage: How prepared are we?


We can sum up the flooding possibilities and related problems:
  1. In 1978, there was only a small settlement in east Delhi. This has changed. Now nearly half of the over 14 million people of Delhi cupying low lying areas. In the past, Government tended to take care of the portion west of the river and was willing to accept serious breaches in the eastern side. This option is no more available. The maintenance of embankments is also far from satisfactory with grave risk of colossal losses should the left side embankments fail.
  2. There is significant intrusion in the river bed and flood plain, much of which seems politically organized and Government condoned. This impermissible occupation is constantly on the increase. There are even some Government sponsored schemes of this nature. The DDA plan for channelization of the Yamuna and commercial use of the reclaimed area, should be viewed in this context. The CWC/CBIP workshop of 1986 had the following to say on the proposal for channelisation and urban development as was then envisaged : "the proposal … was not considered to be sound prima facie on technical considerations. Further is came in direct conflict with the declared policy of flood plain zoning by the government of India for preventing encroachment on flood plains in order to minimize flood losses in terms of money and human lives…………."
  3. It is a common tendency to blame the upstream states for high floods in a downstream state. "High release from Tajewala" have often been blamed for Delhi's flood problems. This will be meaningless in the absence of any storage provided at Tajewala, or any other location upstream till now. The January , 1986 workshop recommended construction of storages at upstream sites in U.P./H.P to significantly help in floor moderation as also meet the increasing water requirements in Delhi. It also suggested use of detention basins, overflow sections and diversions upstream.
  4. Delhi's Problems have been compounded by the inability of the State Government to ensure the effective implementation of the agreed Sahibi Master Plan. Nothing of real significance and beneficial to Delhi from that agreed Master Plan has been implemented in the upstream States, in the past three decades. The risk to Delhi through the Sahibi in thus continues.
  5. Most of the recommendations of the Rashtriya Barh Ayog have remained only in paper. Nothing that was agreed upon and retreated from time to time has been implemented. Therefore, the extent of damages in the case of a future flood of even the same order as in the past will be much higher. Leaving aside the prospects of Disaster mitigation following a "high flood" of the future, the handling of the much lesser order of flows and normal drainage during spells of rain in recent years point out the many deficiencies in the "system". One has only to go through recent news reports to realize this.
  6. the multiplicity of organizations involved, along with the less than involvement of the state Government of Delhi and its elected legislators in terms of its present constitutional position are added problems.
Where do we go from here? Rather than bemoaning the difficult situation as it stands now, we could offer some suggestions for the consideration of the Delhi Government (in consultation with the Central Government).
  1. A committee should be set up by the Delhi Administration to review the position in regard to a possible flood disaster and the readiness or otherwise if the present setup and arrangements to deal with it. This should involve both government level and non governmental experts working together in the review.
  2. A review of the progress in the implementation of the agreed Sahibi master plan should be undertaken and actions to update and expedite implementation decided upon. At least those elements of concern to Delhi should be urgently implemented.
  3. A review of the danger level, status of flood embankments including those upstream, the condition of the flood plain and the encroachments thereunto should be undertaken. Areas at risk with different probability levels of floods should be demarcated on large scale maps and these should be made easily available to the common man. Effective enforcement of flood plain zoning through legislation would significantly help.
  4. A careful review, with informed public participation after wider dissemination of the plans under contemplation, of the proposal for the channelisation of the Yamuna river in Delhi must be undertaken.
  5. A standing committee of experts to advice the government, including representatives of NGOs and active members of the public should be set up on flood management relating to Delhi and the wider National Capital Region.

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