Essay on A River in Flood
Floods are natural phenomena. They occur when there 1 is heavy rain and the discharge of water is greater than the capacity of river channeled. Sometimes, it has been seen that due to the fast melting of snow on the hilltops, the excess water begins to flow over the river banks and submerges the adjacent areas.
In our country, most of the floods are seasonal. They occur during the monsoon period which extends from June to September. Sometimes, there are torrential rains during this period and cause widespread floods.
The most flood-prone basins are those of the Ganga in the northern plains of the Brahmaputra in Assam and the deltas of the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and the Kaveri. The Brahmaputra has flooded more often and with greater severity in recent years.
One of the worst floods in more than fifty years to have hit India’s eastern state of Assam caused massive destruction, displacement, disease, and a mounting death toll. Last year the monsoon rains were heavy and torrential and they continued till September.
As a result, there occurred heavy loss of life and material. Many people did their best to help the affected families. Some private organizations also helped the needy.
The Government too came forward to assist them. Some private doctors were also called to give first aid on the spot. The affected whose condition was serious were removed to the hospitals in the Government ambulance car. There was an acute scarcity of foodstuff and drinking water.
in the affected areas. Hence, army and navy personnel mounted rescue operations. They dropped food packets and drinking water bottles from airplanes. In this way, every possible help was given to the flood victims.
UNICEF also gave monetary help to the affected people of the state. In spite of all this help, there were still millions of people who had no place left to live. Their homes and huts were washed away by the flood and they were forced to stay in refugee camps.
Of all forms of natural phenomena, flooding is the most destructive and this leaves a trail of woes and suffering for mankind. They have the most damaging effect on crops and livestock. In addition, the transport and communication links are also damaged.
Many railway lines and roads are simply washed away by the fury of floods. Even after the swollen river receded, people became prey to many water-borne diseases. There is always a fear of the outbreak of epidemics. Thus, floods have far-reaching effects.
Floods can be controlled by adopting the following measures:
- Construction of embankments, flood walls, and ring binds.
- Construction of flood control reservoirs that can temporarily hold a part of the flood within the storage space provided in the reservoir so that the rate of flow below the reservoir is kept within safe limits.
- Improvement of surface drainage.
- Reducing the rate of runoff by watershed management.
- Construction of raised platform to be used during times of flood emergency.
- Afforestation of the catchment areas of the rivers.
- Building of storage dams across those small streams, which have devastated large areas in the past.
- Straightening of the meandering river channels.
- Establishment of proper flood warning systems.
Man has got great achievements in the field of science technology. He has conquered nature in various ways but not completely. He is still helpless in the face of natural furies because he is not able to develop a technique to control them.
Essay on A River in Flood PDF
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