With monsoon gradually picking pace, fear of floods in various parts of Arunachal Pradesh has already started creeping in. It’s just the beginning but signs are enough to indicate that this year too, sufferings await for a large number of people in various pockets of the state. At this juncture, the need for initiating a long-term and permanent solution to this recurring problem has once again been felt and the Centre now must intervene and aid the state  appropriately.

In this context, it is clear that China’s dirty politics is largely responsible for the current  flood-related sufferings of the state. It is a story which dates back to 2009 when it halted Asian Development Bank’s  plan of funding Flood and River Erosion Management Project in Arunachal on the basis of a wild claim that the state is their territory. And in spite of India’s objection to this out and out evil stance of China  to ADB which has many big names as member countries such as US and Japan among others, nothing had been done to get out of the stalemate. It was a funding intended not for building nuclear weapons but for a basic  developmental  and disaster management need. Despite being fully aware of this fact, ADB succumbed to China and as is evident from the released cables by Wiki Leaks, it even  begged pardon by acknowledging  it as  ‘a mistake’. The matter ‘ended’ there as India didn’t pursue it further with the required  degree of diplomatic tenacity. Not only ADB, the World Bank and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) acted in the same  manner and denied funding for flood protection projects after Chinese objections during past several years.

But the woes for the people of Arunachal continue unabated each monsoon. Currently, both West & East Kameng are struggling with nature’s fury with many more districts to follow soon. There had  been some pre-emptive flood protection measures undertaken by villagers  along the banks of Siang and some  administrative steps along with. But it must be understood that these are all ad hoc in nature and cannot be the final solution for a problem which is distressingly recurring. The situation remains unchanged  as there are no signs of revival of the  discontinued  Flood Management Programme by the Centre yet and practically speaking, it is beyond the financial and technical capacity of any state to undertake  such  massive flood mitigation projects on its own.

The only way-out is an immediate disbursement of fund by the Centre which will go a long way in saving Arunachal from an inescapable reality and add to the fostering of Centre-state relationship. It is a genuine and critical need which the Centre must give ear to.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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