Floods in Bihar: A Fiasco Built by Years of Central and State Inaction?

New Delhi: Continuous rains over the past 60 hours in Bihar inundated several districts claiming at least 29 lives and injuring many others. Local reports suggest that many people died after they were hit by collapsing trees and walls. 

The severity of the floods could be gauged from the fact that Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi and his family could be rescued only after three days in the state capital, Patna. Popular Singer Sharda Sinha was also rescued after rains stopped on Monday. 

Mahender Yadav, an activist told NewsClick that in Patna, a smart city in making, the heavy downpour had exposed the lies behind the Municipal Corporation’s repeated claims of smooth drainage. “Water logging has created havoc and a flood like situation in Patna", he added.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department has predicted no rains in Patna on Monday but predicted rains, but not heavy, in some districts of North Bihar.

According to local weather department officials, Patna recorded 226 mm rain in the past 36 hours followed by 210 mm in Vaishali, 154 mm in Bhagalpur, 164 mm in Purnea and 106 mm in Gaya districts. The highest rainfall of 290 mm was recorded in Rosra in Samastipur. 

The flooding in state's capital has left many persons worried about depleting stocks of essential items.

Kaushiki Kashyap, a journalist working in a private media house in Noida, told NewsClick that her family was stranded since the past four days. "The rain started pouring at slow rate. We thought it would lead to normalcy soon. But the roads soon submerged. Homes too became flooded forcing families to take shelter on upper floors and roofs. My family too has taken shelter at my mother's sister’s home. They have kept their phones shut in order to save power as electricity is being cut frequently. A big worry is over depleting stocks of ration and other essential items. When 20 people are living together, ration is a big concern. Most shops are also inundated." 

Kashyap said the present situation could be attributed to years of unbridled construction and mismanagement by municipal authorities. “Bahadur Nagar is an area known for its coaching centres. We have seen the area submerging even in a day's outpouring. This was bound to happen." Bihar witnessed floods thrice this year.

Pushya Mitra, senior journalist, also a resident of Patna, blamed central and state government inaction for the present situation. “It is correct that the city saw unplanned constructions and expansion over the years and it has cost us severely. Patna had 1,022 water bodies and ponds 30 years ago. Now the number has reduced to 500 now. Where did 522 ponds go? Obviously, they were encroached to pave way for construction. These ponds stored a significant amount of water during floods. Now, all water is in streets,” he told Newsclick.

Citing another example, he said Patna had received 321 mm rains in the past three days and it lies submerged. “In 1967, the city received 271 mm rain in a single day and everything was normal. Similarly, we found that city's 30 out of 38 pump houses were not functioning due to errand reasons. It was the responsibility of disaster management authorities to prepare for the situation but they have miserably failed," he added.

Mitra also anticipated a tragedy in making if rescue arrangements are not stepped up. He said," NDRF has only 33 boats for rescuing people. How can you rescue thousands of people with this much logistics? I received a call from girls studying at a private coaching firm. They were asked by the warden to vacate the hostel. So, they left the hostel amidst heavy rains. I do not know about their present status." 

Asked about the possible role of the Farakka dam in the floods, he said," Farakka stops the flow of Ganga during floods. But the question is only raised by the parties when they are in Opposition. Once they ally with the ruling party, they opt for silence over it." 

Farakka dam, built in 1974, has been in controversy over its role in flooding in Bihar. A warning had even come from West Bengal's former Chief Engineer Kapil Bhattacharya who cautioned that the dam was badly designed to keep the water stored in the barrage in a flood situation. In a report, Silting of Calcutta Port, he said: "If my warnings against Farakka Barrage are not heeded, people will have to suffer consequences."  

Himanshu Thakkar, an environmentalist associated with South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People, told Newsclick that the Central Water Commission must take responsibility for continuous floods in Bihar. He said," Farakka Dam actually works like a bottleneck for a large river like Ganga. When Ganga swells during the monsoon, the water cannot drain out as per natural flow. Simultaneously, the tributaries too get swollen and water spreads along backwaters. When the question of silt caused by Farakka was brought for discussion by a committee of Ministry of Water Resources to resolve the situation, the Central Water Commission informed the committee that it has no data regarding silting, be it for the period before Farakka or sufficient data for the post-construction period. So, the situation remains same every year in lack of data and resolution." 

Meanwhile, in the state capital, it is the elderly and the poor who are suffering the most.  Some senior citizens in Patna recall that such a situation of water logging was last witnessed 45 years ago. ”For youths, it may be something new, but a similar situation was witnessed in mid-70s in Patna” Krishnakant Ojha, an activist told Newsclick.

(With inputs from Mohd Imran Khan in Patna)