Basin-level approach to tackle Brahmaputra floods

Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s emphasis on the construction of 50 large ponds in the Northeast region to tackle the flood problem caused by the Brahmaputra has revived the concept of multipurpose dams initially proposed by the Brahmaputra Board. A policy shift subsequently to lay more emphasis on the construction of hydroelectric power projects on the tributaries of the Brahmaputra in Arunachal Pradesh put the concept of multipurpose dams with storage reservoirs on the backburner. Expediting the proposed constitution of the North Eastern Water Management Authority (NEWMA) will be crucial to pushing the concept mooted by the central government for flood management in the region. Arunachal Pradesh is keen to harness the hydroelectricity power potential of the Brahamputra River and its major tributaries flowing through the state to generate revenue for the state. Assam, being downstream of the hydroelectric power projects under construction and proposed in Arunachal Pradesh, is inclined to construct multipurpose hydropower projects in the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra to meet water requirements for irrigation, agriculture, and flood moderation in addition to electricity generation. The run-of-river hydroelectric projects in Arunachal Pradesh, like the 2000 megawatt Lower Subonsiri hydropower project on the Subonsiri River, a large tributary of the Brahmaputra, do not have flood moderation attributes as the objective is only to generate electricity and not for other purposes of irrigation, agriculture, or flood management. Whenever heavy rainfall leads to the water level of the dam surging above a hazardous level, dam gates are required to be opened, and the sudden release of water from the dam results in high flooding, which causes extensive damage in downstream areas. The Ministry of Jal Shakti issued directions to all states, union territories, and dam authorities in upstream states to communicate sufficiently in advance to the downstream states and authorities about the release of water whenever a decision is taken by them to release water from the reservoirs or dams within their limits. This measure was initiated to allow the downstream authorities to take mitigation measures against any impending flood situation that could be caused by the release of water from the dams or reservoirs. This, however, does not provide a sustainable solution, as the window period between communication and the actual release of water is often quite small when there is very heavy rainfall or a cloudburst. While the downstream authorities in Assam may get some time to urge people to shift to safer places, there is no escape from flooding, which destroys standing crops and damages residential and public buildings, roads, and bridges. The construction of a storage reservoir can reduce the peak flood level and amount of water released through the dam gates, thereby preventing inundation in the downstream areas and consequent damage to lives and properties. Arunachal Pradesh, on the other hand, has worries about the submergence of areas in large storage reservoir projects, which cannot be ignored and must be addressed. Rehabilitation of people in submerged areas is another prime issue standing in the way of multipurpose dams with large storage reservoirs. Often, the compensation for rehabilitation is too little compared to the loss of ancestral land, properties, and isolation from forest areas around which the rich cultural heritage, life, and lore of tribes and communities in Arunachal Pradesh have evolved. The compensation amount can be weighed against thousands of crores of rupees spent on the maintenance of flood embankments, relief, rescue, and rehabilitation of flood-affected areas, and the restoration of connectivity every year in Assam. Flood moderation at the upper reaches will result in significant savings for structural and non-structural measures for flood management in downstream areas in Assam, which will be available for providing compensation to people displaced by the large storage project in Arunachal Pradesh. As the objective to use water from the Brahmaputra and its tributaries and its effect are different for Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, it is the central government that can play the role of facilitator in the dialogue for joint management of the Brahmaputra River basin areas in the two neighbouring states. The proposal to replace the Brahmaputra Board with NEWMA was initiated by the central government to create this body with the chief ministers of all basin states as members of the Governing Council of the authority for better coordination among the states. The draft NEWMA bill proposes that Basin States shall, in their respective territories, develop, manage, and regulate the waters of an inter-state river basin in an equitable and sustainable manner, provided that the determination of optimum utilisation of waters and adequate river flows shall be as per the river basin Master Plan. Another salient feature of the bill is that the Brahmaputra and Barak River basins shall be managed in an ecologically sustainable manner as a common pool of community resources held by the basin states to achieve food security and livelihood support. A holistic basin-level approach replacing ad hoc and piecemeal solutions to the Brahmaputra flood problem is the urgent need of the hour.