Annual floods in the Northeast particularly in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh is quite common which cause displacement of millions of people and hundreds of deaths. Although this year too, as of now it has been the same, that which has added to the concern of the environmentalists and climate experts and has baffled them to a great extent  is the emerging trend of  extreme weather patterns. If it is flood now, possibility of a severe drought within a fortnight or so    can’t also be discounted either. It is altogether a paradoxical situation when even with the most sophisticated and technologically backed weather forecasting system, it is becoming increasingly difficult to explain the phenomenon. But the principal cause is perhaps known to all, it’s the fallout of the great Climate Change, an inescapable reality which is going to keep entire humanity in great distress in the coming decades.    
If last year it was Kerala, it seems to be the turn for Assam and Bihar to face the unpredictable nature, with many more to follow according to experts. Combined death toll of these two states till  Monday is    170 with 1.07 crore people still reeling under the effect of the calamity. In    Assam, more than 96,000 have been  displaced and agriculture has been hit hard with more than 1.14 lakh hectare cultivable field still inundated. 187 animals, including 16 rhinos in the Kaziranga National Park have also perished. In Arunachal, situation is equally alarming with landslides and flash floods adding to the woes. It is apparent that death toll in the state too might have been of the similar proportions  of Assam and Bihar, but it has been minimal thanks to low population density. But there had been much damages of infrastructure all over the state with road communication  bearing the maximum brunt. It is really unfortunate for a state which is perennially short of basic infrastructure and in the process of building new ones. Coming to the new pattern of extreme weather conditions that has also  been witnessed during the immediate preceding years, this year also it has reappeared. If Northeast and  Bihar are submerged  under water, dry spells  continue in Northwest, West and South India. In any case, effects are the same-unending misery for people.    
If  Climate Change is the chief villain, it is an open secret that its ‘steady patron’ is the western world who is still turning a deaf ear to the issue and countries like India continue remaining susceptible to the tragedies and bear the enormous economic costs.
Time has arrived when there is no route for escape, except for  giving the existing  environment saving and flood fighting mechanism  a fresh and urgent look.

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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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