Flood control

Coherent policy needed to address recurring floods

Come monsoon, and floods begin to wreak havoc in various parts of the country. Several areas in Assam, Odisha, and Himachal Pradesh are already under water. Similar reports from elsewhere are imminent as the monsoon season progresses. Going by the past record, the incidence of floods, as well as the extent of the damage caused by them, has been steadily climbing. This is partly because of the climate change-driven increase in the frequency of freakish rainfall events, but largely for want of effective flood-mitigation action. Unlike some other disasters, such as earthquakes, which can neither be predicted nor prevented, floods,