Floods in Punjab: Nature, Neglect, and Governance Challenges

General Studies Paper-1

Context

• Punjab is under the impact of its worst floods in decades, with 1,902 villages submerged, 3.8 lakh people affected, and 11.7 lakh hectares of farmland destroyed.
• Across the border, Punjab province in Pakistan has suffered parallel devastation.

About the Floods in India

• According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), floods are a recurrent phenomenon in India, caused by heavy rainfall, inadequate drainage, and overflowing rivers. They result in loss of lives, damage to property, infrastructure, and public utilities.
• The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) describes it as part of the natural variability in river flow and water levels, and deadliest natural hazards globally, exacerbated by climate change, land use changes, and population pressure.
• In India, floods are triggered by monsoon rains, cyclones, cloudbursts, and dam releases.
• The frequency of major floods is more than once every five years.
• More than 40 million hectares (mha) of land in India are flood prone, and an average every year, 75 lakh hectares of land is affected.

Impacts of Floods in India

• Human Impact:
  • Loss of Life: On average, floods claim around 1,600 lives annually in India. In severe years, such as 1977, fatalities exceeded 11,000.
  • Displacement: Thousands are forced to evacuate, often losing homes and access to basic services.
  • Health Risks: Floodwaters spread waterborne diseases, increase vector-borne illnesses, and cause mental health stress.
• Agricultural Damage:
  • Crop Losses: Over 75 lakh hectares of farmland are affected annually, devastating rural economies.
  • Livestock Deaths: Animals perish due to drowning, disease, or lack of fodder.
  • Food Security: Disruptions in supply chains and harvest cycles lead to inflation and scarcity.
• Infrastructure Losses:
  • Roads and Bridges: Washed away or damaged, cutting off access to villages and cities.
  • Urban Disruption: Cities like Delhi, Faridabad, and Amritsar face traffic chaos, waterlogging, and power outages.
• Environmental Consequences:
  • Riverbank Erosion: Floods accelerate erosion, altering landscapes and threatening settlements.
  • Sediment Load: Rivers carry heavy sediment from catchments, reducing their capacity and increasing flood risk.
  • Wetland Disruption: Natural ecosystems are disturbed, affecting biodiversity.
• Psychological and Social Effects:
  • Trauma and Stress: Survivors often suffer long-term psychological effects.
  • Community Breakdown: Displacement and loss of livelihood strain social cohesion.

Related Initiatives & Efforts

• Environmental and Water Laws:
  • Environment (Protection) Act, 1986: Enables regulation of activities affecting floodplains.
  • Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974: Addresses drainage and water quality during floods.
  • Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980: Protects catchment areas that influence flood behavior.
• High Level Committee On Floods (1957) & Policy Statement of 1958: It includes structural control (like embankments) and non-structural methods, incorporating flood plain zoning, flood forecasting, and warnings to mitigate damage, recognizing these as cost-effective measures.
• National Flood Commission (Rashtriya Barh Aayog) – 1980: It includes adopting a dynamic flood management strategy, halting large-scale construction of embankments and reservoirs until their efficacy could be assessed, and emphasizing state-center collaboration on research and policy initiatives.
  • It identified that increasing flood frequency was due to anthropogenic factors like deforestation and poor development, not changes in rainfall.
• R Rangachari Committee: It was set up by the Ministry of Water Resources to review the implementation of recommendations of the National Flood Commission.
• National Water Policy (1987/2002/2012): These policies aim for integrated water resource planning, efficient utilization, promoting groundwater regulation, and integrating environmental and human settlement needs.
  • Key principles include treating water as an economic good, enhancing water-use efficiency, and ensuring social justice in water access.
• National Disaster Management Guidelines on Floods:
  • Structural measures: Embankments, reservoirs, drainage improvements;
  • Non-structural measures: Flood forecasting, zoning regulations, insurance schemes;
• Integrated Water Resources Management: Promotes sustainable use of river basins;
  • Dam safety protocols and reservoir regulation to prevent overflow disasters;
• Floodplain zoning: Legal frameworks to restrict construction in vulnerable areas.
• Flood Forecasting and Early Warning Systems: It is managed by the Central Water Commission (CWC) and IMD, focusing on:
  • Expansion of real-time monitoring and predictive models;
  • Coordination between central and state agencies for timely alerts;
• Urban Flood Risk Management Program (UFRMP): It was launched in 2021 with ₹2,500 crore allocated for flood mitigation in 7 major cities, and expanded to 11 additional cities including Guwahati, Patna, and Trivandrum. It focuses on:
  • Upgraded drainage systems;
  • Nature-based solutions like wetland restoration;
  • Community awareness and GIS mapping;

What More Needs to Be Done?

• Strengthen Floodplain Zoning Laws: Most Indian states have not enacted floodplain zoning regulations, despite repeated recommendations.
  • NDMA urges legal enforcement to restrict construction in flood-prone areas and incentivize compliance.
• Shift to Nature-Based Solutions: It reduces downstream flood risk, enhances biodiversity and water quality, aligns with global best practices like the Netherlands’ ‘Room for the River’ program.
• Modernize Forecasting and Early Warning Systems: Expand and upgrade the Central Water Commission’s flood forecasting network using AI, satellite data, and real-time sensors.
  • Improve coordination between IMD, state agencies, and local bodies for timely alerts and evacuation.
• Desilting and River Capacity Enhancement: Regular desilting of rivers and water bodies is essential to maintain flow capacity.
  • NITI Aayog’s report stresses the need for catchment area treatment and reservoir operation protocols.
• Community-Based Disaster Preparedness: Flood management must include local participation, especially in vulnerable rural and peri-urban areas.
  • Training, awareness campaigns, and school-based disaster education can build resilience.