Assam's recent Brahmaputra breaches leading to severe floods, lets one ponder on the situation of Guwahati if the river overflowed into the city and the consequences of the same
Assam has been witnessing devastating floods recently due to breaches in the Brahmaputra, affecting lakhs of people and leading to 83 people losing their lives.
The breaches in Brahmaputra happened at three points including the NR Dyke embankment at Bonqual, Bokakhat on July 1, 5:55 AM due to piping effect, at the Kamalabari to Gowalgaon embankment, Majuli on July 1, 6:30 PM, due to tremendous pressure of floodwater, and at the Hatimura embankment at Kaliabor on July 2 at 10 AM due to a sudden slump down.
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Even though the Brahmaputra river flows through Guwahati, luckily no breaches happened in the city.
Speaking to GPlus, a source at the Water Resource Department stated, "There was no breach in Guwahati but the water was flowing above the danger level for a couple of days. The department is monitoring the situation. Even though there is no history of Brahmaputra breach in Guwahati, no one can predict the future."
As the river occasionally crosses the danger level in Guwahati, people sometimes fear what would happen if there is a Brahmaputra breach?
Speaking to GPlus, an official from the India Meteorological Department stated, "Several things will determine if Brahmaputra will overflow into the city, including climate, locality, drainage, and soil factors. If heavy rainfall occurs after a long dry spell, there will not be any flooding. However, if it has been raining for a period then the soil becomes saturated and leads to flooding."
In a hypothetical scenario, the water level of Brahmaputra will have to rise past the danger level after continuous heavy rain in various parts of the state through which the Brahmaputra flows to enter Guwahati.
"The low-lying areas like Nabin Nagar and Tarun Nagar usually get flooded the first after heavy rainfall as there is no place for the water to go. The filling up of wetlands has destroyed the natural drainage system of Guwahati," stated Ranel Das, a Guwahati-based architect.
"It is implausible that entire Guwahati will ever get flooded at once as some areas of the city are situated on higher ground than others. However, it can still happen in case of a catastrophic event in the Himalayas, or if something gets blocked in the river's upstream before the water enters India which may cause the river's water level to rise by 4-5 feet leading to a natural disaster. The consequences of something like that could be disastrous for entire Assam," Das further said.
In such a scenario, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) and the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) will begin operations to ensure the safety of citizens.
A source from the DDMA informed GPlus that citizens will be taken to various relief camps for their safety in case of any flooding.
"There are relief camps. If the water level of Brahmaputra rises in Guwahati, we will shift people to these relief camps," the DDMA official informed GPlus.
The areas near the riverbank are expected to be affected by the flooding first including Panikhaiti, Fancy Bazar, Panbazar, etc.
A long-time resident of Fancy Bazar told GPlus, "I remember the water from Brahmaputra had once seeped onto MG Road back in 2006-2007. Luckily, it didn't enter the market though so businesses were not harmed. People just took a different route and things went normally till the water subsided. If it happens in this area again then most parts of the city will go underwater as the ground level is much higher here."
"The authorities need to come up with a system to harvest rainwater. Currently, it's a nuisance, but with the right system, it will be very useful," the resident further stated.
Another small shop owner on MG Road in Fancy Bazar told GPlus, "In such a situation, we'll have to obviously shut our shops. If the Brahmaputra floods the market then it will cause a massive loss to businesses here as many of their goods will get damaged. The vegetable and fruit market will be closed down, affecting the entire city. Many shops in the wholesale market have godowns in their basements which will fill up with water entirely. The street animals will be affected. It will be a catastrophe".
Another shopkeeper stated, "Remember the COVID-19 lockdown when people were asked to stay indoors? In case of floods, people will be forced to stay indoors and basic supplies and essential services will be impacted."
"Meanwhile, to reduce the instances of artificial flooding, the Government needs to immediately stop any construction activities that lead to filling up of wetlands in the city," the shopkeeper further stated.
Even though the situation of Brahmaputra overflowing is unlikely, the threat of flooding still looms large across the city due to the lack of a proper drainage system and the massive destruction of wetlands around the city.
Eminent social activist and Padma Shri recipient from Assam, Ajoy Dutta, shared a new perspective, stating that the riverbed of the Brahmaputra has been rising due to massive soil erosion which may lead to rising water levels in the future.
"The earthquake in 1950 caused massive landslides and led to sand, mud, trees, and all kinds of debris entering Brahmaputra and raised the level of the riverbed, leading to floods. Floods became a regular occurrence after that," he told GPlus.
"Today, the Brahmaputra riverbed is continuously rising in the state due to soil erosion and landslides caused due to unplanned and erratic construction and hill-cutting activities. This may cause the water level of the river to rise further in the future," he stated further.
The Assam Housing & Urban Affairs Minister Ashok Singhal has long talked about a flood-free Guwahati. However, that vision cannot be achieved without first identifying the underlying cause behind the problem.
In the last few years, people have witnessed the government take up various projects around the city, much of it without local support. However, the administration will need to consider the local perspectives to bring a sustainable, long-term solution so no more lives are affected by this annual menace.
(This article was written based on a hypothetical scenario of Brahmaputra flooding Guwahati, which may or may not occur in real life. It was written with the intent to let our readers know and understand situations that might have an impact on them.)