Assam Floods
(Excursions)
Workout
A. Fill in the blanks with the correct answers.
1. The Kaziranga National Park and .................. were affected by the 2016 Assam floods.
a. Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary. [✓]
b. Manas Wildlife Sanctuary. [ ]
c. Gir National Park. [ ]
d. Ranthambore National Park. [ ]
2. Assam receives monsoon rains from ................
a. January to September. [ ]
b. March to September. [ ]
c. December to March. [ ]
d. June to September. [✓]
3. Assam is located in the ............. Himalayas.
a. eastern. [ ]
b. western. [ ]
c. northeastern. [✓]
d. northwestern. [ ]
4. The river Brahmaputra has ................. tributaries.
a. 20. [ ]
b. 15. [ ]
c. 41. [✓]
d. 26. [ ]
5. A total of ............ districts were affected by the Assam floods.
a. 12. [ ]
b. 13. [ ]
c. 22. [✓]
d. 25. [ ]
B. Answer these questions in detail.
1. Explain the reasons that lead to the Assam floods of 2016.
= The reasons that led to the Assam floods of 2016 are :
In 2016, Assam experienced unusually heavy monsoon rains; consequently, many parts of the state were flooded. Flooding is seasonal in Assam on account of the monsoon, which lasts from June to September. The flood is believed to have affected nearly 1.8 million people. The Kaziranga National Park was almost completely submerged during this flood causing an unprecedented loss to the wildlife of the state. The Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary was also affected during the flood.
2. What were the impacts of Assam floods?
= ❐ Over 1,100,600 people were affected by the floods in Assam. The people living on sand islands of the Brahmaputra river were completely marooned.
❐ Roads were submerged and many were closed cross the state. In rural areas, roads were blocked by debris left behind by landslides and erosion.
❐ Tremendous damage was caused to the infrastructure, including bridges and communication networks.
❐ Majuli, an island in Jorhat, was completely cut off from the rest of the state. Thousands of people were standard on this island without access to essential services.
❐ Many people who could not reach the relief camps went missing, and many people were displaced and forced to migrate to safer regions.
3. Why is the river Brahmaputra prone to flooding?
= The river Brahmaputra gets flooded because of the following reasons :
❐ The Brahmaputra Valley along with the northeastern hills receive heavy monsoon showers. The average rainfall of this region exceeds 2480 mm annually.
❐ The snowmelt originating from the source of the Brahmaputra, near Manasarovar, also increases its water level.
❐ Assam is a valley located in the south of the Eastern Himalayas. The land is mostly composed of soft rocks, which easily give a way to gushing water of the flood.
❐ Assam lies in an seismically active zone, that is, it is prone to earthquake. Geologists believe that the river Brahmaputra has become unstable after the region experienced earthquakes. The earthquake of 1950 made massive changes in the topography of the Brahmaputra Valley.
❐ Assam is densely populated along the banks of Brahmaputra and its tributaries. The rapid growth of settlements and construction of railway bridges on the river and its tributaries has disrupted the natural flow and speed of the river. Therefore, the river water breaches embankments and flows out to vulnerable areas causing floods. The lack of a proper drainage system also increases the flow of water on the ground. Deforestation in the Brahmaputra Valley has resulted in increased siltation, decreasing the depth of the river basin.
4. Explain the relief and rescue work carried out by the government during the 2016 Assam floods.
= Most of the rescue and relief work during the 2016 Assam Disaster Response Force and the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA). The army was mobilised to monitor the flood situation and coordinate relief efforts. Helicopters and boats were used to evacuate people. Around 500 temporary relief centres and 50 distribution centres were set up by the state government. Food, medicine and clothes were provided in relief camps.
❐ The institutional roles and responsibilities of different administration officers, like the office of the district magistrate, block development office and village panchayat in disaster management should be clearly defined.
❐ Water, sanitation and health are major issues in the aftermath of cyclones and floods and a speedy response are crucial to prevent the spread of diseases.
❐ The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) should seek the help of international organisations like UNDP, WHO and UNICEF, which was absent during the Assam floods.
❐ Implementing an improved flood control warning system can reduce damage caused by floods. Improved forecasting, early warning system and preparedness measures should be adopted to reduce the number of lives lost and impact on livelihoods.