The rainfall during the rainy season is generally very heavy in many parts. Especially the mountainous regions receive very heavy rainfall that causes floods in the rivers rising in those regions. A river in flood is a fearful sight to look at. Strong currents of flowing water and dangerous whirlpools are really frightening.
Before the rainy season, the weather is very hot and dry. Hot winds blow and the scorching heat of the summer sun disturb. Everybody longs for rain in order to get rid of the burning heat. But when the rains go on incessantly for days together, there is water and water all around. Pools, ponds, tanks and other low-lands are full of water. Not only this, river-waters begin to rise and sometimes cross the danger mark. In such a case, we often say that the river is in flood. If the rains continue still further, the river overflows its banks. The villages and fields in the catchment area are all submerged under water. The standing crops become invisible and houses in villages etc are flooded. Men, women and children run to house-tops or to the places of safety. Some climb up the trees even. everybody looks sad and sobbing. The poor are very badly hit as their mud-houses collapse in rain. Their mud is carried away by flood waters. Not only this, cattle are drowned and their dead bodies are carried too.
Flood waters hit all alike. They do not make any distinction between the rich and the poor. They have no regard for innocent birds even. Trees are up-rooted and washed away too. There is heavy loss of life and property. All the crops are destroyed and thousands of people are drowned. Crores worth of property is damaged. Not only this, floods erode the fertile soil of the fields and transport it to lower lands. As a result, the productive fields are rendered infertile. This is a very big loss indeed. Floods damage the roads and the railway tracks. As a result, rail and road traffic is obstructed.
Rescue parties, voluntary institutions and government - all come to the help of the flood-stricken people. The marooned are rescued by means of boats. Food is provided to them in various ways. Sometimes it has to be done with the help of helicopters. The service rendered to the flood-hit people by various agencies is really commendable. Floods are really a terrible thing. They cause havoc to life and property. The government must do its best to check them duly by taking precautionary measures well in time.
Flood control measures are an essential pre-requisite for check-mating the en-rush of floods. Embankments and diversification of rain-water through channels is another remedy. If the flood-water is harnessed for irrigational purpose, it will add to the over-all agricultural growth in our country. Let the Government take up all-out measures for this purpose.
