Mention the main cause of floods in Assam...
Answers
EARTHQUAKES/LANDSLIDES
Assam and some other parts of the northeastern region are prone to frequent earthquakes, which causes landslides. The landslides and earthquakes send in a lot of debris in the rivers, causing the river bed to rise.
BANK EROSION
Assam has also faced bank erosion around the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers as well as their tributaries. It is estimated that annually nearly 8000 hectares land is lost to erosion. Bank erosion has also affected the width of the Brahmaputra river, which has increased up to 15 km. The damage cost due to bank erosion is estimated to be of several hundred crore every year.
DAMS
Among the man-made reasons, the key cause of floods in Assam region is releasing of water from dams situated uphill. Unregulated release of water floods the Assam plains, leaving thousands of people homeless every year.
ENCROACHMENT
Encroachment in forest lands and water bodies is another main reason that causes flood in the state.
Answer:
2020 Assam floods refers to the significant flood event of the Brahmaputra River in the Indian north-eastern state of Assam and coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic. Initial flooding started in May 2020 due to heavy rainfall affecting 30,000 and destroying crops across 5 districts. As of October 2020 the floods affected over five million people, claiming the lives of 123 people, with an additional 26 deaths due to landslides, 5474 villages were affected and over one hundred and fifty thousand people found refuge in relief camps.