by
Dr.V.N.Sharma
The Run of the Mill approach has been repeatedly experimented in Kosi for last 50-60 years. Governments in Bihar and Centre and their Agencies go for a repeat cycle of a plan for another dam/ barrage or major maintenance work, make a lot of money through contractors and continue with an annual programme of Aerial Surveys of Flood affected areas by VIPs, inauguration and operation of relief camps directly and through NGOs and pocketing lots of money. This also provides an opportunity of keeping the men in power in good humour and the NGOs under control. This will soon be put into the loop for Kosi. Congress Party mastered this technique of Dam /barrage building and "the Bandar baant"(बन्दर बांट) long ago which is a part of the programme since the beginning. All other parties have learnt and exceeded the Congress limits now. Therefore, it is futile to talk about the difference between this party or that.
It looks like that planners and designers have never taken the fact into account that Kosi area lies in the worst seismic zones of the world. With this in mind a dam will always be looking like a sword ever hanging over the head. The deluge and the loss of humans and properties are expected to be much more than what the world has seen in Kosi this year if dams breakdown due to Earthquake. Ever flourishing corruption in India should always be taken into account in all aspects of planning. There is no culture of routine or planned Maintenance in our working except in central PSUs, Railways or Private industries. Break downs are awaited even for our domestic gadgets. Governments are champions of this Breakdown- Maintenance culture because that is where a lot of money is. All the time silt gets deposited but no silt removal programme is ever on. Our Engg thinking is intentionally backward. For North-South flowing flood we have East- West Rail-Roads on almost the same ground level. What can be expected except anarchy and chaos during such a calamity as Kosi Floods 2008 when there is an expected almost complete break down of Rail-Road communication?
World without dams cannot be thought of in today's world because once a Technology or Engg marvels are created they do not go back as they provide both money and comforts to the elites of the society. But this cannot be a prescription for all the time and all the places. Loss of Human lives and properties cannot be allowed to be put to experimentation for ever. I must confess that I do not claim to be a Flood control expert. So it is a result of common sense approach in which not many satellite pictures of American, European or Chinese rivers have been reviewed. But I would prefer to limit their marvels as examples for every place and every occasion. Life, culture, and ecology etc. of the Kosi region is different and should be accounted for in the same way.
Kosi does not bring only flood but it also brings highly fertile soil in the area year after year. According to an informal estimate the soil there is capable of feeding 1/3 rd of the World population. Even if this claim is a bit on a higher side the fact should be weighed in the potemtial of the soil and Human power. The new approach should be based on "No Dam/ No Barrage" (or only few of them if at all required), making land and water available for farming as much as possible, and an assumption that Floods will be coming every year on time. This assumption should prompt us to resettle and rehabilitate life with their vocation and communication with minimum pain and discomfort. Annual desilting and planned routine maintenance programme is a must and should be the first consideration. Use of silt from the river for creating island like structure for safe rehabilitation of Humans should result from this. The Research on new Building Materials and Materials development like light weight Boat with sufficient strength for every house and Jacket for floating humans need to be initiated in IITs and the Cement, Steel, Electronic and Power industries etc. Networks of fly over with sufficient strength and stability for Rail-Road and wireless communications which remain intact even during the severe flood need to be created in the region.
One point, never to be forgotten, is that we are culturally different from the developed countries in our attitude towards Maintenance & Repair and Public Property. The second point is that the level of corruption is assumed to be there in equal measure because it will be the same people handling the affairs either way. This will require a parallel battle against corruption to avail maximum benefits of the Schemes and lowering the loss of life and property and ever hanging threats of getting deluged. Due to various reasons, even organised local action groups fail to take care of the monitoring part during the operationalisation and execution of the programmes and in controlling the corrupt practices. The involvement of the masses from the beginning to end at all stages should be made legally enforceable.
The above suggestions are neither exhaustive nor provide details but they are examples of some aspects. Constructive criticism will help improve and is always welcome.
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मेरे बारे में
- परिवर्त्तन
- मैं परिवर्त्तन हूँ। जीवन के हर पहलु चाहे वह समाज व्यवस्था हो, अर्थ व्यवस्था हो, शिक्षण हो या ज्ञान विज्ञानं, राजनीति हो, खाद्य सुरक्षा हो या फिर आजीविका सम्बन्धित प्रश्न हो या पर्यावरण या जल प्रबंधन मैं गतिशील रहना चाहता हूँ. लेकिन मुझे परिवर्त्तन वही पसंद है जो क्रांतिकारी और प्रगतिशील हो, आम आदमी के भले के लिए हो और उसके पक्ष में हो, जो कमजोर वर्ग की भलाई के लिए हो जैसे बच्चे, महिलाएं, किसान, मजदूर, आदिवासी इत्यादि। मैं उनलोगों का साथ देता हूँ जो आगे देखू है। पीछे देखू और बगल देखुओं से सख्त नफरत है मुझे। क्या अब आप मेरे साथ चलना चाहेंगे? तो आइये हम आप मिलकर एक तूफ़ान की शक्ल में आगे बढ़ें और गरीबी, अज्ञान के अंधकार और हर प्रकार के अन्याय एवं भ्रष्टाचार जैसे कोढ़ पर पुरजोर हमला करते हुए उसे जड़ से उखाड़ फेंके।
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