Government's Response To The Flood Situation In Different States Raises Question Of Equality

Floods leave behind horrible images of destruction. When the water recedes from cities and villages, dead bodies of humans and animals are left on the streets just to be picked up and added to a mere number in the records.

Each year, thousands of people across India are affected by incessant rains, overflowing rivers and subsequent floods. Heavy rainfall causes deadly landslides and devastating flooding during the monsoon season which generally lasts between June and September.

This year too, the case is the same.

Floods in India are arguably the perfect storm with thousands losing their lives and millions getting displaced each year. This time, scores of people have lost their lives across the country and the number is expected to rise once the water clears and leaves behind piles of decaying dead bodies of humans and animals and filth.

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In 2017, the worst affected areas by the flood fall in Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Gujarat and the newest entrant Mumbai (though it is le, where unrelenting rains have brought the city to a standstill.

While the eastern and north-eastern Indian states have been battling floods since June this year, the reports of the same were taken with a grain of salt. In stark contrast, just one day of rains in Mumbai have received non-stop coverage and have evoked a mountain of emotions, which the north-eastern states failed to do even with months of rain and floods.

So, which is the most important flood in India and which flood stimulates most emotions? Here¡¯s a lowdown:

5) West Bengal

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At least 152 people have lost their lives so far and 1.5 crore have been hit by the floods in West Bengal. Parts of the state have seen massive flooding since July. According to local media, disaster authorities in West Bengal have set up over 300 relief camps where as many as 50,000 people have taken shelter. Nearly three lakh houses were fully damaged while close to 55000 were severely and over 52000 were partly ruined. The state has lost an estimated Rs 14,000 crore in the flood.

Alarmingly, no relief package has been announced for West Bengal, which interestingly is the only non-BJP ruled state.

4) Assam

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The first wave of flood hit Assam in June when several rivers in the state reached the red level affecting 60,000 people from the 3 districts Lakhimpur, Karimganj and Darrang after long-term rainfall. Assam State Disaster Management Agency (ASDMA) reported on 05 June, 2017, that 113 people have been forced from their homes and are staying in a temporary camp in Lakhimpur. Assam is one of the most flood-prone states and invariably receives flooding during this time of the year.

The death toll has climbed to 156 with as many as 606 villages submerged under water and 2 million people still affected by floods in nine districts. On August 1, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his one-day visit to the state, announced an assistance of Rs 2,350 crore for the North East out of which Rs 2,000 crore will be used towards flood relief and rehabilitation. Rs 250 crore from the amount were allocated towards relief and rehabilitation work.

3) Bihar

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At least 514 people have died so far in Bihar due to severe flooding, however, the water levels in all major rivers are decreasing. A Bihar Disaster Management Department official said 171.64 lakh people in 2,371 panchayats under 187 blocks in 19 districts had been affected by the floods.

Over the last two weeks, around 8,54,936 people were evacuated to safer places by the rescue teams of the Army, National Disaster Response Force and the State Disaster Response Force.

On August 26, PM Modi visited Bihar for an aerial survey of floods and announced Rs 500 crore fund for relief work in the state.

2) Gujarat

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Following unremitting rain since July, Gujarat has been affected by severe flooding. As per reports, 224 people have died in Gujarat as of August 1. The state emergency operation centre officials said that 10,471 animal deaths have been reported from across the state since the beginning of monsoon.

By July 31, at least 16 people lost their lives in neighbouring Rajasthan. Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani announced a relief package of Rs 1,500 crore for flood-hit Banaskantha and Patan districts. On July 25, PM Modi visited the state to review the flood situation and conducted an aerial survey of flood-hit areas of North Gujarat. He announced a relief package of Rs500 crore under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).

1) Mumbai

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On August 29, Mumbai was paralysed with just one day of an interminable downpour, recorded at 300mm. The record rainfall made it the wettest August day in 20 years. A total of five people died, including three children since last night in rain-related incidents. The rain, 30 times the average, had brought Mumbai to a halt, with water flooding low lying areas. Thousands waded through the waist-deep water, abandoning cars to walk. The situation has improved in the economic capital of the country with the Meteorological Department (MET) saying that the worst is over for the maximum city.

While Mumbai witnessed extensive media coverage with reporters wading through water to report the downpour and the destruction, flooding in other parts of the country was scantily reported.

Aid poured in from all the sides for Mumbai with people opening their homes and netizens rushing to their social media accounts to mark themselves ¡®safe¡¯ in the rains. It is noteworthy that fatal floods in other parts of the nation fail to evoke such emotions and help.

Evidently, the people of the north-east and the far east go through horror and are constantly at the receiving end of apathy from rest of the country. The Indian government hardly ever has a long-term plan to keep infrastructure in check and is dependent on ad-hoc arrangements.

With water level rising each day, the anger against mainland apathy towards perpetual problems of certain other states is rising too. The floods that ransack the north east each year, receive little media attention.

The discrimination against northeast regions and people have become a tradition of sorts in the country, with the situation seemingly improving with time. If only political parties and national media clamour on inclusiveness when it is needed the most, the indifference can be cut down to the minimum.