Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Rain and repeat: On extreme weather and governance

Rain and repeat: On extreme weather and governance

Excess rain is no excuse for damage caused by neglect of sluices (जलद्वार)

The heavy rains and flooding across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana this season underline (रेखांकित करना) how extreme weather interacts with governance. In 2024, Andhra Pradesh recorded 27% of its annual rainfall in two days; this August, Vizianagaram logged a 46% excess, with some parts reporting up to 90%. Consecutive (लगातार, क्रमिक) years of extreme precipitation signal a shift in the monsoon’s behaviour. Reservoir and barrage (A concentrated outpouring, as of questions or blows) systems in river basins are designed to manage seasonal inflows (अंतर्वाह, अन्तर्प्रवाह) but the timing and intensity of recent rain events matter. At one point this year, Srisailam was 94% full and Nagarjuna Sagar 96%, leaving little room for additional inflow. The crisis is really excess rainfall plus its concentration into short bursts when reservoirs are already nearly full. Last year, Budameru, a rivulet (छोटी नदी, नाला) with a capacity of 7,000 cusecs, received 35,000 cusecs and flooded Vijayawada. The recurrence (पुनरावृत्ति) points to how minor tributaries and drainage channels, which are often neglected in policy, become debilitating (दुर्बल करने वाला) choke points. While sheer volume explains part of the flooding, infrastructural weaknesses magnify (To make something appear larger than it is, especially with a lens) the damage. At the Prakasam Barrage, one gate damaged last year remained unrepaired well into this season, hampering smooth water release. Along the Godavari, floodbanks near Bhadrachalam sank or collapsed in places, raising anxiety among residents on both sides of the border. In urban areas, partly desilted drains, encroached stormwater channels, and concretised surfaces have restricted water absorption. Overall, infrastructure exists but is not maintained or upgraded with urgency.

The disaster management apparatus in both States is mature and saved many lives. Yet, institutions remain less agile at reducing risk. Year after year, large sums are sanctioned for immediate relief (Telangana recently released ₹1 crore per district at short notice) but strengthening floodbanks and completing diversion channels remain unfinished. In 2024 and 2025, extreme rainfall arrived late in August and early September. Both times, the Krishna and Godavari systems were severely strained (तनाव देना, जोर डालना) and Vijayawada was inundated. Both times, protests followed, highlighting incomplete Budameru works and opaque relief fund uptake. Extreme rainfall cannot be prevented but its consequences can be moderated by anticipating (पूर्वानुमान लगाना) it. Reservoir management, for example, needs to incorporate real-time hydrological modelling so that water levels are drawn down before a deluge, creating flood cushions. Urban planning must prioritise drainage networks and reserve permeable land for water absorption, moving beyond cosmetic desilting drives. Flood banks and sluices require continuous, not episodic, maintenance, and their upkeep should be insulated from political cycles. Neither State is wrong to argue that extraordinary rains can overwhelm (अभिभूत करना, दबा देना) even robust systems, but both risk fatalism if they use this as an excuse to avoid reform.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.Sluices (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - जलद्वार
English Meaning - A sliding gate or other device for controlling the flow of water.

2.Underline (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - रेखांकित करना
English Meaning - To draw a line under a word or phrase to indicate importance.

3.Consecutive (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - लगातार, क्रमिक
English Meaning - Following one after another in a continuous series.

4.Inflow (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - अंतर्वाह, अन्तर्प्रवाह
English Meaning - A large quantity of something, typically water, that flows in.

5.Rivulet (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - छोटी नदी, नाला
English Meaning - A very small stream.

6.Recurrence (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - पुनरावृत्ति
English Meaning - The fact of happening again.

7.Debilitating (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - दुर्बल करने वाला
English Meaning - Tending to make someone weak and infirm.

8.Strain (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - तनाव देना, जोर डालना
English Meaning - To stretch, pull, or exert force on something, often to the point of injury or damage.

9.Anticipate (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - पूर्वानुमान लगाना
English Meaning - To regard as probable; expect or predict.

10.Overwhelm (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - अभिभूत करना, दबा देना
English Meaning - To defeat or destroy by a great amount; to affect someone with a very strong emotion.

11.Barrage (Noun)

English Meaning - A concentrated outpouring, as of questions or blows.

12.Magnify (Verb)

English Meaning - To make something appear larger than it is, especially with a lens.