{"id":20091347,"date":"2022-06-02T12:30:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-02T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thethirdpole.net\/?p=91347"},"modified":"2022-06-14T09:42:39","modified_gmt":"2022-06-14T04:12:39","slug":"walking-shadow-of-sindh-river-devastating-floods","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/water\/walking-shadow-of-sindh-river-devastating-floods\/","title":{"rendered":"Walking in the shadow of Madhya Pradesh\u2019s devastating floods"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Bundelkhand, a region shared by the massive Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, is often in the news for drought. But in August last year, it was floods in Bundelkhand that dominated the news cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starting on 3 August 2021, some areas within the region experienced unusually high rainfall, triggering widespread flooding along the Sindh River, a major tributary of the Yamuna which flows through the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Houses collapsed, cattle were killed, and fodder decimated. Three concrete bridges across the Sindh River \u2013 at Seondha, Ratangarh temple and Laanch \u2013 were completely destroyed, and others were damaged as the river rose. Since Bundelkhand is divided between two states, the scale of damage proved hard to quantify, but within a week, more than 350 villages in Uttar Pradesh<\/a> alone had been inundated by floods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Map<\/div>
A map of locations affected by floods along the Sindh River in 2021. Graphic by The Third Pole<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Months later \u2013 a journey down the Sindh<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Months after the floods, when we started our walk along the Sindh River at Seondha in Madhya Pradesh, the effects of the flood were still very much evident. We met farmers Naresh Vishwakarma and Jairam Baghel. They showed us how the river sand, had been dumped on their lands by the floods \u2013 unfertile and unsuitable for their crops. Boundary walls were toppled, and repair work was still ongoing on their machinery. Jairam said that his crop of jowar-bajra<\/em> (sorghum-millet) was ruined in the flood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\"Two<\/div>
Naresh Vishwakarma and Jairam Baghel walking with us to their fields (Image: Rahul Singh)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\"men<\/div>
Jairam Baghel standing in front of a fallen stone boundary at the edge of his field, which was destroyed in the 2021 floods (Image: Rahul Singh)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Speaking to farmers as we walked through areas hit by the August 2021 floods, it was terrifying to hear about the flood\u2019s intensity as the villagers described the damage caused. They pointed to the tops of houses and trees, showing how high the water had risen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kaptan Singh, a 75-year-old resident of Dhamdholi village in Shivpuri district told us: \u201cI have not seen such floods in my life. Earlier during floods, water levels would rise but the river didn\u2019t enter our village. The paddy grown in 27 vigha<\/em> [7.44 acres] area of my farm was destroyed in the floods. While I received a compensation of INR 5,000 [USD 65] some others did not receive any compensation. The patwari<\/em> [village level administrative officer of the revenue department] is responsible for distribution of the compensation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\"flooded<\/div>
The River Sindh as seen from the farms of Sarkhadpur village (Image: Aishani Goswami)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\"A<\/div>
Residents of Sarkhadpur village showed us this tree, which was completely submerged in the floods, to show how high the water level reached (Image: Aishani Goswami)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The flood has left its imprint everywhere, including in sand deposited on farms where wheat is now growing, having been picked up by the floodwaters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suresh Kushwaha, from Sarkhadpur village offered us water from his open well when he saw us walking with our luggage. Suresh explained that the water level in the well was unusually high. \u201cAfter the floods our wells have rocks and silt deposition, because of which the water levels have risen,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Piles<\/div>
Sand deposited by the floods is still clearly visible on this wheat field near Sarkhadpur village (Image: Rahul Singh)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Suresh was among the many farmers who showed us the damage sustained by their farms, motors, and electricity lines in the August 2021 floods. Suresh told us that aside from the winter crops of paddy and groundnut being destroyed, the fertile topsoil of their farms was eroded, exposing a hard rocky layer which is unsuitable for cultivation. Farmers of the village had to transport fertile soil from other areas and use more fertilisers than they would usually need to compensate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\"A<\/div>
Groundwater levels in wells are now higher than usual, raised by deposits of rock and silt from the 2021 floods (Image: Aishani Goswami)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\"White<\/div>
Zinc ready to be applied to a field, to compensate for the fertile topsoil lost to the Sindh floods (Image: Aishani Goswami)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPeople representing a fertiliser company made regular visits to our village and told us to add 25kg urea, 10kg potash, one bag of super fertiliser and several packets of zinc,\u201d Suresh said. \u201cWe were told that zinc, especially, needs to be added since the top soil is eroded completely.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The extra expense is an additional hardship for the farmers, while the artificial management of soil fertility through chemical fertilisers may have long-term consequences on the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"group<\/div>
Farmers from Sarkhadpur village, surrounded by empty packets of artificial fertiliser, talking about the long-term impact the August 2021 floods had on their farms (Image: Rahul Singh)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Dams, irrigation, and flood management<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Mohini Pickup reservoir and Madikheda (Or Atal Sagar) are the two main dams on the Sindh. They are part of the Sindh Phase II Major irrigation project<\/a>, started in 2010-2011 at a cost of INR 74.66 billion (approximately USD 1 billion), to help ameliorate the droughts that often hit the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Madikheda<\/div>
Gates of the Madikheda dam on the Sindh River (Image: Aishani Goswami)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This irrigation project has led to increased surface water availability and a rise in groundwater levels, of help to farmers. But during the heavy rainfall last August, the operation of the dams added to the disaster. On 3 August 2021, all 10 gates of the Madikheda dam were opened. Three out of the 25 gates of the Mohini dam had started opening on the evening of August 2. Many villagers were unaware of this, and the sudden rise in water caught them unaware. During the night of 3 August, they scrambled from their homes to find points of higher elevation, away from the water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hemant Rawat, sarpanch (head of an elected village committee) of Behgawan village in Shivpuri district blames a lack of management for the floods. \u201cSince there was heavy rainfall in a short time, the governing authorities should have opened the gates and released water from the dams sooner,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n