Punjab, the food bowl of India, has been in the news for quite some time as it is grappling with one of its worst floods in 40 years. All 23 districts of the state and over 3.8 lakh people are impacted, apart from over 11.7 lakh hectares of farmland having been destroyed. True, the state, which is drained by three perennial rivers, the Ravi, Beas and Sutlej, the seasonal Ghaggar, and smaller tributaries, is geographically vulnerable to floods because while these rivers make the state fertile, they also make it prone to floods. When there is heavy monsoon rainfall in the catchment areas like Himachal, Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab, not to speak of cloudbursts, the rivers swell suddenly. But, somewhere behind all this also lurks the bogey of climate change. Alterations in weather patterns, like erratic and intense rainfall, turn the monsoon into a destructive force rather than a friend of the farmer. With the Sutlej, Ravi, and Beas rivers in spate, farmland, roads and low-lying areas are inundated and standing crops damaged, dealing a hard blow to agriculturists and the rural economy. Damage to infrastructure and loss of livestock have compounded the misery. Since floodwater carries pollutants and untreated waste, diseases, both water-borne and vector-borne, like cholera, dengue and malaria, etc., loom large.
So much to the loss of the human population! But there must have been substantial damage to ecology too, with animal habitats, flora and fauna adversely affected but perhaps unreported, all due to a shift in weather patterns on account of climate change, which has changed regional weather patterns. There are human-induced factors too, like dam management issues, inadequate flood cushion, weak embankments and barrage failures, but these can be addressed. It is the global warming–induced heavy rain that is worrisome. Needless to state, this calls for adopting new approaches to water management and disaster preparedness, like scientific dam management, strengthening embankments, removing encroachments on river banks and checking illegal mining, modernising drainage networks, going in for an integrated flood management system with better centre-state coordination, expanding flood forecasting, digital alerts and village-level disaster plans, improving urban drainage systems, restoring wetlands and desilting rivers to absorb excess flows. However, some serious thought is needed on the climate change front, too.
A systemic approach is required to deal with climate change-induced flooding. This should combine climate action, like reducing fossil fuel use, with flood adaptation measures such as building flood defences (levees, sea walls), implementing green infrastructure (rain gardens, permeable pavements), improving early warning systems and promoting smart land use planning to avoid development in high-risk areas. While addressing the root cause, it is vital to curb global warming, which requires cutting down on fossil fuels, as this directly increases the intensity and frequency of flooding events. Green infrastructure must be given priority. Pavements should be water-permeable and green spaces should be increased to allow rainwater to permeate the soil and not run off. Natural barriers like mangroves and wetlands must be conserved, as these slow down the flow of water. Green roofs on buildings to absorb and retain rainwater, reducing runoff and rainwater storage solutions must be encouraged. In recurring floods each year, thousands are displaced, many lose their lives and the economy is hit hard. The government as well as the common man, all have a crucial role to play in the battle against climate change to counter such disasters and sure a healthy planet.
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