Page 2 - Flood Fury
Canada's British Columbia declares state of emergency amid floods
The government of Canada's British Columbia declared a state of emergency in the Pacific province due to floods and mudslides caused by rainstorms in the last few days.
 "Canada's British Columbia declares state of emergency amid floods")
Letters: Bowing to nature's fury
With reference to "Flood fury" (August 1), it is highly intriguing to observe that the entire nation currently faces nature's fury in the form of the widespread floods. The flooding of vast areas across the country has become more of an annual ritual. It is important to point out that some parts are still confronted with the problem of scanty rainfall at the same time. The editorial disturbingly reveals that along with lightning strikes, the floods have claimed 85 lives in the last few days in Assam, Bihar and Odisha. There are also reports about the displacement of an estimated 6.8 million people.Media reports have also shown the pathetic conditions prevailing in some of the nation's "smart cities" such as New Delhi, Bengaluru and Gurgaon soon after rainfall, which reflect the abject failure of the respective administrations. The prolonged traffic jam faced by motorists in Gurgaon was unprecedented, and left the state government red-faced owing to its inability to resolve the problem
Letters: Poor infrastructure
With reference to "Flood fury" (August 1) rains are always a test of the quality of urban infrastructure. The country does not seem to draw any lessons from each instance of floods - be it in Kashmir, Chennai or even Uttarakhand. Gurgaon is seen as a "slum of the rich" - a town of the affluent but with poor infrastructure. Seventy per cent of its water needs are being met from below ground which has led to a sharp decline in the water table in the last 20 years, while only 40 per cent of the town has sewer lines. As for Bengaluru, a 1005 per cent increase in concretisation (paved surfaces) during 1973-2016 has resulted in an adverse impact on the garden city's wetlands, green spaces and groundwater levels. No wonder, both the cities sank.One wonders when elementary sense will dawn on our cities to stop encroachment on spaces like catchment areas and wetlands that are meant to receive floodwaters and replenish groundwater. Drains have to be regularly de-silted and cleared of plastic so