Question

what problems of urban development are faced by people living in the ganga- Brahmaputra valley

Answer 1

The situation began to turn critical ever since the state experienced pre-monsoon showers in April and May this year. The breach in embankments along the Brahmaputra river and its various tributaries has caused flooding in 23 out of 35 districts in the state and has submerged crops in over 2 lakh hectares.

Consequently, 1.1 million people have been affected, with 28 persons losing their lives and over 1.5 lakh persons seeking shelter in over 460 relief camps.

In many parts, people have remained marooned with little food or drinking water and await relief and rescue. NDRF teams have been deployed and are trying their best to reach out to maximum people.

With 80% of the famous Kaziranga National Park submerged, Assam’s pride – the one-horned Rhinos and other wildlife across the state, have had to face the brunt of swelling waters. The Wildlife Trust of India, along with various Forest department officials, have been under pressure rescuing animals but many have drowned while others continue to remain marooned.

Morigaon in lower Assam has been most affected, where over 3.6 lakh people have had to face flood waters. The entire Majuli riverine island, that forms a large part of Jorhat district, lies submerged, affecting over 1.71 million people.

Every year, over 31.6 lakh hectares of land in Assam is flood prone. Of this, around 9.5 lakh hectares gets directly affected by floods each year. The total damage caused  exceeds Rs 160 crore annually.

The state has paid a heavy price through land erosion caused by floods. Since 1954, over 4.2 lakh hectares of land has been lost to erosion, that’s over 7.1% of the state.

Over the years, maximum erosion has taken place in South Assam region, with Makalmua in Nalbari (80,000 hectares), Majuli island (42,000 hectares), Goalpara area (40,000 hectares) and Morigaon (15,000 hectares) being most affected.

The Mighty Brahmaputra

This is the world’s 6th largest river in terms of water resources carrying 629.05 km3/ year. The total length of the river is 2,906 km, with 918 km flowing through India, which includes 640 km flowing through Assam.

Answer 2

Explanation:

Some of the problems faced by the people in Ganga Brahmaputra valley are: a., In the valley, there are mountainous areas, with dangerous terrain. b. There are also problems related to pollution, flooding of rivers.