Flood Hazard or Disaster: Governance and Resilience Interplay

A disaster is an unforeseen and devastating event that significantly alters the operation of a society or civilisation, producing human, material and environmental losses greater than what it can manage on its resources.[1] Although the aftermath can be brief and localised, it is often extensive and could last for a considerable duration. The outcome may impair the ability of a society or community to manage its resources independently, necessitating external aid from local jurisdictions or national or international organisations.[2] Adaptation of the disaster management cycle, with the integration of government and non-government bodies, towards vulnerability and disaster reduction can produce myriads of positive outcomes. Estimates of the financial losses resulting from floods and related calamities in Himachal Pradesh alone by the end of July 2023 were put at around Rs. 8000 crores (one crore equals 10 million), which is several times the loss for this period in a number of prior years. Haryana recorded over 1400 flooded villages, while Punjab reported almost 1,500 in 19 districts. Over 25,000 people in Delhi had to be temporarily evacuated from areas damaged by flooding.[3] The impact of such situations can be mitigated. The pre-monsoon preparedness included training, seasonal rainfall forecast issued by IMD-Mausam, updated Flood/Disaster Response Plan and operating procedure for flood response, updated flood-prone areas and impact including impact on vulnerable groups, flood warning dissemination mechanism which includes warning dissemination tree, communication channel and in-charges. These are all essential for the preparedness and effective response at the time of disaster response with the required equipment. The National Disaster Management Authority has built the framework of the National Integrated Response System, sending standard operating protocols on the flood, and conducting table-top exercises and mock drills well ahead of the flood season in June, resulting in a SWOT analysis to improve the weak areas and take the necessary steps for betterment. The role of the local community along with the optimum use of technology can significantly impact the response system. For the past decade, the world has been plagued by urban floods.[4] The incidence of urban flooding catastrophes in India is also increasing. Urban flooding varies significantly from rural flooding due to the developed catchment areas, which escalate the flood peaks from 1.8 to 8 times, and the flood volume rises to 6 times. Maintaining the ecological balance of floodplains requires knowledge of the spatial and temporal patterns of flooding, which are influenced by both natural and human-made flood regimes.[5] Of sustainable urban development methods that embrace water-sensitive design and infrastructure needs to be looked into. The roadmap of the future lies in building resilience using technology, awareness and involvement of the local community. Haste in decision-making could cost lives in times of apocalypse. An apt framework with a robust addressal system is the need of the hour. It is advisable to abide by appropriate strategies to prevent the occurrence of such disasters.