FAILURE OF WATER MANAGEMENT IN INDIA
                                            Last Edition

Water managers in the govt. are unable to recognize the fundamental importance of ecological scientific knowledge in their profession. For example, the very first paragraph in the report of the working group on water resources for the 11th five years plan (2007-2012) of the ministry of water resources takes the position that “environment & social factors, consideration of sustainability, are the constraints”.

In absence of a knowledge base informed by ecology, scientific examination of cause behind extreme events of monsoon inundations can become professionally inadequate, thus opening the path foe explanations like “natural disasters”. After which there is no accountability.

The recent human tragedy in Bihar happened largely due to the failure of the left bank of the Kosi embankment. Open scientific assessment of much failures can produce new knowledge on the complex sediment transfer processes & drawbacks of engineering in the making of the embankment of such rivers.

Branding them, “natural disasters” shuttle door for an introspection of the ecological sciences. Politicians find such a branding favorable for distributing money & goodies in the form of relief. The immediate victim of such compromises is the knowledge base for sustainable management of the rivers, of which the long-term & silent victim is the natural economy.