Syllabus: GS-III & V: Disaster Management

Why is this in the news?

Assam features regularly in news cycles because of recurring monsoon floods, river-bank erosion and increasing urban flooding, together with periodic landslides and earthquake risk. Recent years have seen large-scale displacements and repeated warnings from state agencies about embankment breaches, groundwater stress in Guwahati, and the need for landscape-scale solutions. Recent government reviews and budget allocations underline why Assam’s disaster preparedness and mitigation remain topical.

About disaster risk in Assam

• Geography & monsoon: Assam lies in the Brahmaputra valley with a large floodplain, receives heavy monsoon precipitation and river inflows from Himalayan tributaries.
• Floods & erosion: Annual monsoon floods are endemic; in extreme years millions are affected and large areas of cropland and settlements are inundated. 
  • For example, the 2020 and 2022 flood episodes affected millions of people and thousands of villages.
• Seismic hazard: A significant portion of Assam lies in very high seismic hazard zones.
  • Assam witnessed 1897 & 1950 earthquakes (8.7 magnitude) with fewer casualties then due to sparse settlement.
• Droughts: Drought episodes in Assam are worsening due to climate change/global warming.

• Crop failure, water scarcity, and falling groundwater levels in Guwahati due to deep boring by builders.

• Other hazards: Landslides in hill margins, urban flooding in Guwahati and local industrial/chemical accidents add to the multi-hazard profile.

Reasons for the recent rise in disaster risk

• Changing climate: Increased intensity and unpredictability of rainfall events, longer dry spells and temperature variability have amplified flood and drought extremes.
• Hydro-geomorphic dynamics: Riverbank erosion, sediment deposition and channel migration increase displacement and infrastructure loss; embankment breaches are recurrent.
• Land-use change & wetlands loss: Conversion of floodplains and wetlands to agriculture, settlements and urban areas reduces natural buffering capacity. 
  • The survey identifying 271 wetlands suitable for floodwater diversion highlights this problem.
• Unplanned urbanisation: Rapid and often unregulated construction in Guwahati (hill-cutting, high-rise projects, encroachment of low-lying areas), poor stormwater drainage and groundwater over-extraction increase urban flood risk and water stress.
• Infrastructure & governance gaps: Old/poorly maintained embankments, weak land-use enforcement, and occasional collusion between builders and local bodies reduce resilience.
• High exposure: Growing population density in floodplains and city cores means more people and assets are exposed — historical earthquakes that were less deadly due to sparse settlement would now have far worse consequences.
  

Assam’s disaster preparedness

Institutional architecture

• National to district: NDMA (apex — PM as chair), NDRF (response force), SDMA (State Disaster Management Authorities), and DDMA (District Disaster Management Authorities) form the multi-tier system envisaged in the 2005 Act. The State’s ASDMA is the nodal body for Assam.

State mechanisms & tools

• ASDMA & plans: Assam State Disaster Management Plan (SDMP), manuals, audits, school safety policy and annual reports provide frameworks for preparedness.
• Early warning & forecasting: Flood forecasting stations and real-time monitoring on the Brahmaputra and tributaries, coupled with state web portals and GIS mapping, enable pre-emptive alerts and planned evacuations.
• Capacity building & engagement: Training programmes for officials, volunteers, and responders; mock drills and school safety programmes strengthen preparedness.
• Response finances: Assam utilises the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for immediate relief and can seek NDRF assistance when damage exceeds SDRF capacity.

About ASDMA

• Chair & structure: ASDMA is chaired by the Chief Minister and includes senior ministers and officials for inter-departmental coordination. 
  • The State Executive Committee (SEC) chaired by the Chief Secretary executes policies and coordinates response.
• Functions: Policy formulation, planning (state and district DMPs), capacity building, awareness campaigns, early warning coordination, post-disaster needs assessment, and management of SDRF/NDRF resources.
  

Enactment of the Disaster Management Act, 2005

• Paradigm shift: The Act mandated a forward-looking framework prioritising prevention, mitigation and preparedness alongside response. It created NDMA, SDMAs and DDMAs and gave legal backing to integrated planning and evacuation.
• Assam timeline: The State adopted the Act on 19 August 2006 and set up ASDMA in 2009. District DDMAs were also notified. 
  • This institutionalised disaster risk management beyond ad-hoc relief.

Objectives of disaster management in Assam

• Promote a culture of prevention, preparedness and resilience through knowledge, innovation and education.
• Encourage mitigation strategies combining technology, traditional wisdom and environmental sustainability.
• Mainstream disaster management into development planning at all levels.
• Empower communities to lead local preparedness through self-reliance and decision-making.

Shifting from reactive to proactive approach

• From Relief to Risk Reduction: The earlier Relief Manual has been supplemented by SDMPs, statutory rules and preparedness measures.
• Early warning to evacuation: Flood forecasting and community alert systems have enabled pre-emptive evacuations, reducing mortality.
• Technology & planning: Use of GIS, satellite imagery, web portals and wetland rehabilitation projects indicate a science-based shift in mitigation.
  

Recent developments and future outlook

Recent developments

• Wetland restoration: Identification of 271 wetlands for floodwater diversion to supplement embankments.
• Urban flooding focus: Partnerships with technical institutes like IIT Roorkee for Guwahati flood management.
• Embankment & erosion control: Greater emphasis on strengthening embankments and tackling erosion.
• Displacement & humanitarian concerns: Floods in 2020 and 2022 displaced millions, testing relief systems.

Future outlook

• Integrated flood management combining embankments, wetlands and zoning.
• Climate adaptation strategies mainstreamed into agriculture, water and urban planning.
• Strengthening DDMAs, Panchayats and community first responders.
• Sustainable urban governance with strict building codes and stormwater management.
• Forecast-based financing and anticipatory action to move resources before disasters strike.
  

Way forward

• Landscape solutions: Wetland rejuvenation and floodplain restoration.
• Integrated river basin management: Coordination with upstream states for sediment and flow regulation.
• Urban resilience: Enforce building codes, prevent hill-cutting, upgrade drainage.
• Community empowerment: Train local committees, institutionalise contingency plans.
• Forecast-based financing: Use forecasts for cash transfers and pre-emptive relief.
• Data & research partnerships: Scale up collaboration with NESAC, IITs, and universities.
• Groundwater sustainability: Regulate borewell extraction in Guwahati; expand piped water supply.
• Finance & insurance: Strengthen SDRF/NDRF usage; expand crop and property insurance.
  

Conclusion

Assam’s hazard profile — floods, seismicity, erosion, urban flooding and drought — demands a whole-of-society, multi-modal response. The Disaster Management Act (2005) and ASDMA provide the legal and institutional framework; recent initiatives (wetland restoration, technology collaborations, improved early warning) indicate a shift from relief to resilience. Success, however, depends on implementing landscape-based solutions, enforcing urban regulations, strengthening local capacities and aligning finance to anticipatory action.

Mains Questions 

1. “Assam’s recurring floods and increasing urban water-stress are the product of both natural processes and human actions.” Analyse the causes, evaluate the state’s preparedness and suggest measures to reduce disaster risks. (250 words/15 marks)
2. “The Disaster Management Act, 2005 transformed India’s response to disasters.” Discuss how the Act’s institutional architecture has translated into resilience at the state level — with special reference to Assam. (150 words/10 marks)

Article Link