A recent assessment of India’s 10 riskiest cities shows that
flood is one of the major risks for almost 8 of them. However, our city planners don’t learn the
lesson. The cities are increasingly
blocking the passage of rainwater/flood water through construction of embankments, encroachment of water ways and flood plains. As a result flash floods and water logging
problems are increasing by the years.
I
was happy to listen to two Ministers of Odisha government, in a recent workshop
on climate change, when they said embankments are actually not helping in flood
control. I thought what we have been advocating
for years is finally starting to influence the policy makers. However, this learning does not seem to have
percolated down to the implementers of the state’s programmes.
The decision of extending Ring Road/Flood
Embankment along Mahanadi in Sambalpur is testimony to this. The existing embankments have already proven
that they make flood woes worse for the cities.
Now, they are not only being widened but the length of the embankments
is being expanded. And what more, funds
are being sought from NABARD which is supposed to be there for rural development
programmes. Our planners are more comfortable
counting the crores spent in projects than envisioning truly beneficial
programmes.
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Ranjan Panda
Mahanadi River Waterkeeper (Member, Global Waterkeeper Alliance)
Mob: +91-9437050103
Email: ranjanpanda@gmail.com
Tweet @ranjanpanda
Tweet @MahanadiRiver
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