North-eastern haors: Managing the floods

The 411 number of haors cover an area of 800,000 ha equaling almost 33 percent of the region. The region experiences some of the most extreme hydrological conditions and is prone to severe flooding. Annual rainfall ranges from 2200 mm along the western boundary to 5800 mm in its north-east corner and as high as 12,000 mm in the headwater of some catchments extending into the bordering state of India. The flooding depth is usually 3 to 5 meter but may be as deep as 6 meter in the worst case. The principal rivers of the region include the Surma and the Kushiyara which drain the eastern side of the region and, the Kangsha the western side while the rivers Kalni and Baulai drain the central basin. Most, as good as 140, of 260 freshwater fish species in the country are found in the north-east region. Besides other ecological aspects, a total of 125 waterfowl species are known to have occurred in the region. The haor and haor basins are frequented by an estimated 80,000 migratory birds annually. Floods transport organic matter and the vast haor area is covered by crops that can tolerate water-logging and inundation.

Water Board has been managing part of these water bodies, currently 46 by number completed with limited focus on protecting the boro crops in haor area from early flash floods since last decade. Another 26 haors are under development and more 38 planned. The length of the completed submergible dyke is about 2000 km and on completion of the 64 said, the total length of dykes will be 3200 km along with huge number of hydraulic structures. These interventions have positive impacts but at the same time have induced silting of haor and haor basin. The existing heights of the submergible dykes are now below the originally designed/built crest levels in almost all the haors. It has been empirically assessed that 40 percent dyke length is presently below the designed/built crest levels. This is because of cumulative recurrent loss of the top soil due to overtopping and submergence. It is also common that the crest levels of submergible dykes of the adjoining haors separated by a stream or river are also unreasonably varied in many cases. This tempts the under-advantaged haor population to be envious of those advantaged. The confinement effect has also made the dykes more fragile to floods.

At the bottom line, it is also visible that in implementation of the physical works the very mindsets of the key implementers are traditionally indifferent; more specifically not committed to reach finish line rather wait -- availing of the opportunities (?) surging from the floods. Such attitudes generally remain unearthed so long the harvest of boro crops is preceded by flood damages. The chronicles reveal that dyke-failures are infrequent but locations are repetitive. Large-area crop damages by failures of the submergible dykes around the fringes of the haors owing to its breach or overtopping have been caused in the past. Public abuses for such failures have all the time far outweighed the cognizance to large successes, although there are many. Compared to the past, the crop damages during 2004 have hit the haor population so hard that a question mark has been mounted by the local intellectuals and public representatives on Water Board's competence for dealing with management of floods in haors; heightening the log of concerns.

Pre-monsoon flooding, monsoon flooding and post-monsoon drainage are linked to routine overhauling of haor infrastructures and follow-up cropping. Conflicts amongst fishers, farmers and boaters impede drainage and even lead to under/excessive drainage of haor with reference to timing. The potentials of vegetative protective measures in reducing the flood risks and damages have not been tapped so far. Hijol, Cane, Dholkolmi and Vetiver including other kinds of deep water tolerant species are that vegetation abundantly grown in the haors. Local initiatives for protecting homesteads and lands by vegetation are found ubiquitously practised and effective. Setting the institution is another important aspect in developing a participatory and belongingness spirit in the flood management. Involvement of local community appears to be a better alternative to the current practice of awarding contracts to those who do not have any neighbourhood obligations to haor population.

Carrying out necessary modelling study of the hydrological system as a whole for a sound planning with specific recommendations may be a useful tool for long-term action plan and its sustainability. But at the same time not waiting too long for a too scientific planning, the short-term action plan needs to be implemented on year-to-year basis that may eventually be subsumed with the long-term plan to be drawn up sometimes in the future. The action plan of haor and haor basins will be limited to water resources issues with particular focus on routine and adequate maintenance of haor water infrastructures with the lone objective of protecting boro crops from floods and its management.

A notional allocation of resources ahead of every upcoming FY based on past experiences and govt. priority shall be made. Allocation shall include temporary protective measures in case of an emergent situation at the time of flood on-rush to save the crops from damages by way of breach/collapse of the dykes. Other than the earth work, the appurtenant type of works such as, repair/rehabilitation of hydraulic structures, hard materials revetment of causeways shall also be funded from other sources. A yearly unallocated sum of 10 percent of the ADP by size for each particular project/scheme/haor shall be kept for utilisation by the local Member of Parliament, who shall decide upon the physical works to be taken up to meet the community needs; albeit within the approved project components.

Community Based Organisations (CBOs) based on administrative boundaries of the Union Parishad (UP) shall be formed by election or selection as the haor population opt for. These CBOs may be called as Resources Management Committees (RMCs) and shall require to have obtained concurrence of the Minister in-charge of the district concerned. The committee shall be formed of in line with the provisions in the national Guidelines for Participatory Water Management. Efforts in general shall be made to advance the plantation period of the boro crops by facilitating early drainage of the haor resolving the prevalent conflicts amongst fishers, farmers and boaters through inter-agency meetings/discussions at the district and thana level with supports from Thana Nirbahi Officer and Deputy Commissioner.

The RMC will be responsible for the social and engineering survey works with support from engineering and extension units. The RMC will prepare and submit the need based budgets on year-to-year basis to the field engineer concerned who upon receipt of that shall determine the priority ranking of implementation of the proposed and programmed routine maintenance works. Field engineers will draw up a comprehensive plan and design in association with planning and design experts. The physical works approved in the form of ADP shall be allotted to RMC in accordance with the procurement regulations so long the programmes are poverty alleviation oriented. The dykes already in place in all the haors shall be gradually brought back in line and grade. A long-term plan for vegetation along the fringes of the haor, more specifically on both sides of the dykes shall be drawn by the RMC. Yearly allocation shall also include the cost of plantation for reclaiming the haor ecology which will eventually protect the dykes from erosion by wind-generated waves, breach and overtopping. The protection of vegetation shall be the responsibility of the RMC.

Twenty-five percent of the value of works as advance payment shall initially be made to the RMC as revolving fund to support the physical implementation of the works. Five percent of the amount credited to the bank account at every payment made by the Regional Accounting Centre shall be retained in the RMC bank account and this savings shall not be withdrawn /debited unless otherwise agreed jointly by the field engineer concerned and the Chairman of the RMC.The deposits/savings accrued from this five percent retention shall form the working capital for future O&M of the haor water infrastructures within the jurisdiction of the RMC. The retained and accrued five percent compulsory deposit may be temporarily withdrawn and used for initial starting of the work, in exceptional circumstances of fund crises, which shall be jointly decided upon by the field engineer and the RMC subject to immediate replenishment at the subsequent payment stages.

The conventional method of year-to-year basis investment in the management of floods in haor and haor basin has proven to be inadequately effective appalling the haor population. The formulation of an integrated and co-ordinated approach is the desired alternative to optimise the use of the haor resources, water in particular. Under various limitations, it is required to adopt an adhoc management plan for the haor and the haor basin. The fine tuning of the prevalent institutional setting proposed is the immediate shift from monopoly of engineering to a mix of engineering and non-engineering components in the approach; given the thrusts on planning and implementation process. Stakeholders' participation shall anchor the long-term sustainability of the haor and haor basin management with respect to floods. The plan may initially be applied and implemented in a limited area and with lessons learned therefrom the current version may be continuously revised and updated to cope with the changing contexts and shall be the building blocks for the long-term plan to be drawn up in the future for managing the floods.

Md Saeedur Rahman is Chief Engineer, BWDB, Dhaka.