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Think beyond relief

The latest flood ravages in Andhra Pradesh have shown that the lessons of the past have not been learnt. The sub-continent is used to cycles of drought and flood but the southern States have had an especially rough deal from nature over the past three years. In July this year, heavy rain tormented large parts of Andhra Pradesh. In the most recent spell, 10 days after the flooding, several villages remain marooned and relief has not been able to reach the affected families. Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh have all visited the State and the Central Government has announced a Rs.400 crore relief package. Considering the vastness of the area affected and the extensive damage to crops and infrastructure, this may not be adequate. Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakahpatnam, Khammam, East and West Godavari districts, and Telangana region are the worst affected areas. Unfortunately for Andhra Pradesh, it is at the receiving end of floods in two great rivers, the Godavari and the Krishna. With dams in Maharashtra as well as Karnataka overflowing, the discharge of lakhs of cusecs of water in the two rivers brought on A.P.'s floods. The high tide in the sea prevented the rivers from discharging their surplus waters. In consequence, the waters have not receded in several areas. With incessant rain and continuous release from upstream States, the flood management turned all the more problematical.

These floods have taken a toll of more than 110 lives; affected 16 districts and about 5,680 villages; and forced the evacuation of about 550,000 people to relief camps. With the relief teams unable to get to many marooned villages, Opposition parties legitimately complain that effective relief has not reached large numbers of people. After three successive drought years, the savage floods have damaged crops in over two lakh hectares. Ad hoc measures and temporary relief cannot solve this recurring problem. The State Government must come up with permanent measures such as construction of bunds for the Godavari and Krishna rivers. The Polavaram project has raised some eyebrows; it needs to be implemented with caution to avoid any damage to the environment. The Rajasekhara Reddy Government is keen on linking the Godavari and the Krishna, but knows it will be a tricky and even risky venture. The Pulichintala dam should help store the Krishna waters before they run into the sea. The Planning Commission and the State Government need to look deeply into ways and means of tackling the challenge of floods and into large-scale water management and conservation to deal with the alternating crises of drought and flood. In recent years, farmers' suicides and the collapse of rural livelihoods and purchasing power have taken a terrible human toll in south India's largest State. The State Government needs to think beyond relief packages, which are of course vital, and work earnestly on designing permanent measures.

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