India’s challenge in moderating the consequences of natural disasters has come under yet another serious test in Orissa, which has been a continued victim of nature’s fury. The magnitude of the toll – over 150 fatalities and lakhs of displaced – has not merely exposed the low level of preparedness on the part of the administration; it is reflective of the enormity of the task at hand. That flood control and relief operations continue to be carried out as ad hoc responses to natural phenomena that now have a fair degree of predictability is a serious malady that should be corrected. It is not the case that there has been a lack of technical inputs or well-intentioned recommendations encompassing the entire gamut of floods and their consequences on human habitations. It is just that these have either been entangled in controversies or relegated to oblivion. In addition are the various leakages that are present in the existing system of providing relief that thwart the already constrained operations by State administrations. That more than 100 villages in five districts of Orissa continue to remain marooned reflects the ineffectiveness of the present operations and the inability of the existing system to provide timely succour. If the continued distress faced by the affected in Orissa is reflective of shortfalls in that State’s administrative response, the tragic turn in Bihar is a pointer to the larger issue of bilateral cooperation and disaster control and management.

The more immediate task at hand for the administrations of the affected States will be to take steps to prevent any epidemic outbreaks that normally follow such disasters. Steps to check the spread of water- borne diseases should be intensified, especially given the backdrop that over 52,000 cases of diarrhoea have been reported from the flood-affected areas in Orissa. In addition, adequate measures should be in place to prevent the spread of malaria, with more than 24,000 cases already reported. While the Orissa Government has taken steps to rush medical assistance, the enormity of the task at hand – with over 17,000 villages in 24 districts of the State affected – requires that there is no let- up in the operations and help is sent in from other States as well to supplement the efforts in Orissa. The calamity that has engulfed Bihar, though of a lesser magnitude, finds its roots in India’s bilateral relationship with its neighbour, Nepal. It is imperative that measures that have been in place to ensure the exchange of information are continued with to ensure that there is no loss of human life as a result of a systemic failing.

These palliatives will not mean much unless a move is made towards the creation of permanent disaster management cells to ensure that the present ad hoc approaches are replaced by a systematic and meaningful manner to moderate the impact of natural disasters. The issue of placing appropriate checks on flood prevention is indeed debatable. The observation by the 1928 Orissa Flood Committee that the problem in the State is also a consequence of the efforts that had been made towards its protection requires to be tested against the backdrop of the various projects that have been taken up in the State. However, another comment by that Committee – that the problem was not how to prevent floods, but how to pass them as quickly as possible to the sea; and that “the solution lies in removing all obstacles which militate against this result” – remains true. To overcome the burden of the past and to provide a system for the future that will effectively moderate the impact of floods will be the main challenge of the Government. For this to succeed, and for replacing the present reactive approaches with a proactive system, it is imperative that the process of dealing with natural disasters is completely de-politicised.