Building for floods in India

In the light of the floods in Pakistan, I am reminded of a trip I took a couple of years ago along the Brahmaputra river in Assam, India.

We visitted an unnamed island in the middle of the river and went for a wander across the crop fields and through the village. Like the Indus in Pakistan, the Brahmaputra floods every year. Every year, this island disappears under the flood waters, washing away everything in its path.

A couple of us were talking to one of the villagers, who was leaning against one of the stilts that his house - and all the others in the village - are built on as you can see above. He explained to us that every year they gather the crops, take in the animals and sit out the floods. I asked him why he didn't just move. He said that the silt depositted made the ground very fertile and the crops were good. And the flood water? "It happens every year so we are ready for it."

My somewhat dim-but-nice friend asked him how high the water comes up? He replied by placing his hand on one of the stilts about a foot below the floor level of his house. "About here", he replied.

The Chinese have the same problem with the Yangtze which is one of the reasons they built that enormous dam to help regulate it. They have problems at the moment too, but they are doing something about it not just holding out their begging bowl.

The Indus is not dissimilar to the Brahmaputra. It does this every year. Admittedly this year it has been extreme, but perhaps the Pakistanis could be a little more like the Assamese and be just a bit more prepared for it?

And perhaps their government could help by releasing just a small chunk of that $2 billion they are spending on developing nuclear power...