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GS Paper: GS3-19.Disaster and Disaster Management.

  • In Assam, floods shift course. State response is static.

    Why in the News

    Flooding is a chronic feature of Assam’s monsoon, but this year, Upper Assam districts far from the Brahmaputra’s main channel and without a history of severe floods, Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat and Golaghat, have borne the brunt. More than 20 people died within 24 hours on Monday after a wall of water from Nagaland’s Mon district spilled into Assam over open terrain, and the State Government called the devastation unforeseeable.

    What made this year’s floods different from Assam’s usual monsoon pattern?

    1. Districts without flood history hit hardest: The state government has called the scale of devastation in Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat and Golaghat “unprecedented.“
    2. Casualty toll: More than 20 people died within 24 hours on Monday after a wall of water from Nagaland’s Mon district spilled into Assam and surged over embankments.
    3. An unusual drainage path: The floodwater is draining into the Brahmaputra over open terrain rather than through the tributaries as usual.
    4. The government’s stated position: The Assam government told the state assembly that “no one could have been prepared” for the calamity.

    Why is the “unforeseeable calamity” explanation unconvincing?

    1. A known river behaviour: The floods’ trajectory is a fallout of Assam’s topography and the Brahmaputra’s well-documented tendency to shift course.
    2. Sediment deposition raises the riverbed: After entering the Assam valley near Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh’s East Siang district, the sharp reduction in gradient slows the river and causes it to deposit sediment, raising the riverbed and reducing the channel’s flood capacity.
    3. Channel abandonment: The Brahmaputra periodically abandons old channels and carves new ones, making it impossible to confine the river within embankments permanently.
    4. A static strategy for a shifting river: Assam’s flood management strategy continues to rely primarily on embankments despite this known channel-shifting behaviour.

    What triggered the immediate disaster in Nagaland and Assam?

    1. Extreme localised rainfall: Mon district received more than one-third of its average July rainfall in about eight hours on Sunday.
    2. Saturated slopes: Hills in the region were already saturated from heavy rain earlier in the month.
    3. Landslides in Nagaland: The saturated slopes collapsed, triggering landslides that killed nine people in Nagaland.
    4. Resulting surge into Assam: The destruction that followed in Assam was a direct consequence of this upstream rainfall and landslide event.

    What institutional response does this demand?

    1. A shared-system approach needed: The situation underscores the need for an institutional mechanism that treats rivers as shared ecological systems across states, with timely warning and coordinated action.
    2. The Brahmaputra Board’s capacity gap: The Brahmaputra Board has long been hampered by staff shortages and inadequate technical capacity. (Brahmaputra Board is a statutory body set up under the Brahmaputra Board Act, 1980 under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation. The jurisdiction of the Brahmaputra Board includes both the Brahmaputra and Barak Valley and covers all the States of the North Eastern Region, including Sikkim and part of West Bengal, which fall under the Brahmaputra basin.)
    3. A call to reinvigorate the agency: With extreme weather becoming more frequent, the Centre and State Governments need to reinvigorate the Brahmaputra Board.

    Conclusion

    The Brahmaputra’s documented tendency to deposit sediment, raise its bed and shift channels, not an unforeseeable event, pushed this year’s floods into Upper Assam districts with no history of severe flooding. Assam’s embankment-only strategy cannot contain a river that periodically abandons its channels, and the underlying institutional gap, an understaffed, under-resourced Brahmaputra Board, must be addressed before climate change intensifies these ruptures further.

    PYQ Relevance

    [UPSC 2020] Account for the huge flooding of million cities in India including the smart ones like Hyderabad and Pune. Suggest lasting remedial measures.

    Linkage: The PYQ tests the geographical and anthropogenic causes of floods and the need for long-term flood management strategies. The Brahmaputra floods article extends this theme to riverine flooding. It shows that how geomorphological processes such as sediment deposition and channel migration, combined with extreme rainfall, demand basin-wide management rather than an embankment-centric approach.

  • [23rd July 2026] The Hindu OpED: Buried questions: On the Sikkim tunnel accident

    PYQ Relevance[UPSC 2016] The Himalayas are highly prone to landslides. Discuss the causes and suggest suitable measures of mitigation.
    Linkage: The PYQ examines the geological fragility of the Himalayas and the need for mitigation measures while undertaking developmental activities. The Teesta-VI blast highlights that infrastructure projects in the young and unstable Himalayan geology require rigorous geological investigations, continuous hazard monitoring, and strict compliance with environmental clearance conditions.

    Mentor’s Comment

    An explosion triggered by trapped methane in an NHPC (formerly National Hydroelectric Power Corporation) Limited tunnel at the Teesta Stage-VI hydroelectric project in Sikkim has killed at least 15 workers. What remains unresolved is not whether the hazard existed, but whether the environmental clearance conditions meant to guard against it were ever verified in practice.

    Why was gas in the Teesta-VI tunnel foreseeable rather than a surprise?

    1. Geological setting: The Teesta basin sits in a seismically active zone with young, heavily fractured rock capable of trapping compressed gas pockets laid down long ago.
    2. Known hazard type: Methane is a well-recognised hazard in underground excavation generally, not specific to this project.
    3. The real open question: What is unresolved is not whether gas could exist, but whether its risk was assessed and modelled during project planning, and whether detection and ventilation safeguards were functioning.

    What does the region’s recent history of underground disasters show?

    1. Meghalaya, February 2026: An explosion at an illegal coal mine killed about 30 workers.
    2. Uttarakhand, 2023: A road tunnel under construction collapsed, trapping 41 workers for 17 days before rescue.
    3. South Lhonak lake, October 2023: A glacial lake outburst flood destroyed the Teesta-III dam and killed more than 100 people downstream.
    4. Pattern, not exception: Together, these episodes show underground and Himalayan infrastructure work carries recurring risk, not isolated misfortune.

    What complicates accountability for Teesta-VI specifically?

    1. Change of developer: Teesta-VI was absorbed by the public-sector NHPC Limited after its original private developer, unable to afford escalating costs, went into insolvency.
    2. Carried-over clearance conditions: A change in developer partway through a project raises the question of whether environmental-clearance conditions were re-verified under the new operator.
    3. Internal inquiry is not an oversight: NHPC has announced its own investigation, but an internal inquiry by the project operator is not a substitute for independent verification of clearance compliance.

    What must happen once the emergency response ends?

    1. Immediate priority: Relief and rescue for workers still trapped must remain the first priority.
    2. No isolated-incident framing: The government must not treat the disaster as an isolated misfortune once the emergency passes.
    3. Independent review required: An independent review is needed to verify whether the environmental clearance conditions attached to Teesta-VI were strictly met in practice, not merely granted on paper.

    Conclusion

    The Teesta-VI blast is the latest in a pattern of underground and Himalayan project disasters recurring because environmental clearance compliance is not independently verified after approval. Once relief operations conclude, the government must order an independent review of whether the clearance conditions attached to Teesta-VI, and comparable Himalayan hydropower projects, were actually met in practice.

  • How important are vulnerability and risk assessment for pre-disaster management. As an administrator ,what are key areas that you would focus in a disaster management

  • Drought has been recognised as a disaster in view of its party expense, temporal duration, slow onset and lasting effect on various vulnerable sections. With a focus on the September 2010 guidelines from the National disaster management authority, discuss the mechanism for preparedness to deal with the El Nino and La Nina fallouts in India.

  • The frequency of earthquakes appears to have increased in the Indian subcontinent. However, India’s preparedness for mitigating their impact has significant gaps. Discuss various aspects.

  • The frequency of urban floods due to high intensity rainfall is increasing over the years. Discussing the reasons for urban floods. highlight the mechanisms for preparedness to reduce the risk during such events.

  • With reference to National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) guidelines, discuss the measures to be adopted to mitigate the impact of the recent incidents of cloudbursts in many places of Uttarakhand.

  • On December 2004, tsumani brought havoc on 14 countries including India. Discuss the factors responsible for occurrence of Tsunami and its effects on life and economy. In the light of guidelines of NDMA (2010) describe the mechanisms for preparedness to reduce the risk during such events

  • Describe various measures taken in India for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) before and after signing ‘Sendai Framework for DRR (2015-2030)’. How is this framework different from ‘Hyogo Framework for Action, 2005?

    As per UNDRR, Disaster risk reduction is aimed at preventing new and reducing existing disaster risk and managing residual risk, all of which contribute to strengthening resilience and therefore to the achievement of sustainable development.

    Measures Taken in India Before Sendai Framework (Pre-2015)

    Disaster Management Act, 2005 established NDMA, SDMA, DDMAs – India’s first legal-institutional framework for DRR.

    Formation of NDRF (2006) – a specialised, trained, and equipped response force for multi-hazard operations. Played a major role in Uttarakhand floods (2013).

    National Policy on Disaster Management (2009) – Shifted policy from relief to prevention, preparedness, and mitigation.

    National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (2011) – World Bank assisted programme for mitigating risks of cyclones in 8 cyclone prone coastal States

    Early Warning Dissemination System (EWDS)

    Cyclone Risk Mitigation Infrastructure (CRMI)

    Technical Assistance for Capacity Building on Disaster Risk Management

    Project Management and Monitoring

    Measures Taken After Adoption of Sendai Framework (Post-2015)

    (Aligned with Sendai’s four priorities: risk knowledge, governance, investment, preparedness & BBB.)

    National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP), 2016 – India’s first national plan fully aligned with Sendai Framework, covering:

    Multi-hazard risk assessment,

    Prevention-mitigation strategies,

    Sector-wise responsibilities (health, housing, power, transport, education),

    Monitoring indicators aligned with Sendai’s seven global targets.

    Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (MHEWS) – integrates satellite, radar, and IoT data via the IMD’s Decision Support System (DSS). Improves accuracy by 20-40%. Apps used are

    MAUSAM: General weather forecasts.

    DAMINI: Lightning alerts.

    MEGHDOOT: Agromet advisories for farmers.

    Nature-Based Solutions – Mangrove restoration (MISHTI), wetland protection (Amrit Dharohar) to reduce cyclone/flood vulnerability.

    Shift in disaster-financing architecture – from earlier response-only funds to separate mitigation funds at national and state level as per recommendations of 15th FC

    Community-Based Disaster Management under Aapda Mitra/Aapda Sakhi.

    GIS-Based Hazard Mapping– Eg- National Landslide Susceptibility Mapping (NLSM 2023) covers all Himalayan states.

    Global Efforts – Launched coalition of disaster disaster resilient infrastructure

    National Landslide Risk Mitigation Programme (NLRMP) –

    Cyclone Preparedness (Odisha Model) – Mass evacuations, cyclone shelters, and resilient infrastructure. Eg- Only 64 deaths in Cyclone Fani (2019).

    City/state-specific Heat Action Plans (HAPs) for heatwave prediction + response + healthcare preparedness. Eg- Ahmedabad HAP cut mortality by 30-40% since 2013.

    Difference between Hyogo and Sendai Frameworks

    The Sendai Framework’s proactive approach is essential for making Bharat a ‘weather-ready and climate-smart’ nation.

    Disaster Specific

  • Disaster preparedness is the first step in any disaster management process. Explain how hazard zonation mapping will help in disaster mitigation in the case of landslides.

    As per UNDRR, disaster preparedness refers to the knowledge and capacities developed by governments, institutions, communities and individuals to effectively anticipate, respond to and recover from disasters.

    Importance of Disaster preparedness

    Reduces Loss of Life and Property – Eg-Zero casualties during Cyclone Biparjoy (2023) due to preparedness.

    Strengthens Community Capacity – Training local communities in early response, evacuation routes, and safe zones, reduces panic and damage. Eg-Aapda Mitra volunteers.

    Enables Early Warning and Timely Decision-Making

    Minimises Economic Disruptions – Preparedness plans protect critical infrastructure like roads, power lines and bridges. (Türkiye earthquake (2021) resulted in a loss of 4% of GDP.)

    Ensures continuity of critical services such as healthcare, transportation, and communication during disasters

    Role of hazard zonation mapping in landslide risk mitigation

    Identifies Risk areas based on geology, slope angle, rainfall, land use and soil type.

    Guides Land-Use Planning and Regulation- Eg-Building restrictions in Munnar and Wayanad based on hazard maps.

    Helps Design Safer Infrastructure – Eg-Stabilisation measures on NH-44 (Uttarakhand-Himachal) based on zonation inputs.

    Mitigation Measures – Eg- slope strengthening, terracing, afforestation, and drainage correction.

    Integrates with Early Warning Systems (EWS) – Hazard zones combined with rainfall thresholds enable real-time warnings.

    Build community resilience – Locals identify unsafe slopes, evacuation routes and shelter locations using simplified maps.

    Resource allocationNational Landslide Risk Mitigation Programme targets mapped hotspots first.

    Assists in Environmental Regulation – Eg- Quarrying, mining, ban in Western Ghats (Madhav gadgil committee recommendation)

    Hazard zonation mapping in India

    National Landslide Susceptibility Mapping (NLSM) by GSI

    National Landslide Inventory created with 80,000+ mapped landslides.

    ISRO “Landslide Atlas of India” (2023).

    State-level LHZ mapping by SDMAs (Kerala, Uttarakhand, Himachal, Sikkim, Meghalaya).

    LiDAR, UAV & DEM-based mapping in critical areas (Joshimath, Munnar, Gangtok, Nilgiris).

    Rainfall threshold modelling (IMD + IITs) integrated with zonation maps for landslide triggers.

    Earthquake Zonation Map of India (Zone II to Zone V) by BIS/IMD.

    Flood Hazard Atlas for 15+ states by CWC-NRSC (ISRO)

    Drought Vulnerability Atlas of India (IMD + NRSC).

    To prevent a catastrophe like the Wayanad Landslide of 2024, engineering as well as nature-based solutions along with early warning systems, and effective land use practices are essential.