Assam floods affected more than 2 million people

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The recent Assam flooding and its magnitude have highlighted North East India’s vulnerability to flood.

Reasons for flood vulnerability of North East India

River instability: The Brahmaputra and the Barak rivers are braided and unstable in their reaches due to high sediment charges, steep slopes and transverse gradients.
Geology: The entire area is part of a seismic zone and periodic severe earthquakes are also a factor of river instability.
Hydrometeorology: The drainage area of Brahmaputra, and Barak in India is subjected to cyclonic storms originating in the Bay of Bengal, particularly in the latter part of the monsoon season.
Climate change: Although overall rainfall is decreasing in North East, in some areas intensity of rainfall has increased (CSE).
- For example, in Assam, districts north of the Brahmaputra show an increasing trend in rainfall in the last 30 years (CSE).
Drainage congestion: Due to heavy rainfall of short duration coupled with high flow levels in the main river rainwater is prevented from draining quickly into the riverbed.
Anthropogenic: Construction, encroachment of river bodies, embankments obstructing natural flows, etc. also induce drainage congestion.

Increase the river water-holding capacity by dredging.
Flood Zoning of a river according to flood frequencies.
Set up modern weather stations in the upstream catchment of all dams in the North East.
Strengthen flood protection structures (currently most are very old).
Afforestation and rejuvenation of wetlands