Floods are very common in India. They are a natural calamity. During the rainy season, we learn from the newspapers the news about the great damage done by rivers in many parts of the country. A great loss of life and property is caused. Floods are generally the result of continuous and heavy rainfall. Sometimes layers of snow melt on the mountains causing a flood in the mountainous regions. Sometimes a flood is caused by a crack in any wall of a dam.
Last year in the month of July there were no rains. But in the beginning of August it rained cats and dogs for five days. The water in the river Jamuna began to rise. But it was below the danger mark. One night there was a sudden rise of water in the river and it crossed the danger point. The water was flowing with a great noise. All the neighbouring villages were surrounded by water. All the houses began to leak. The water of the river rushed in with great speed inside the city. There was water everywhere. All the fields were under water. People with their luggage were moving through water to safer places. Thousands of men, women and children became homeless. We saw a number of thatches and animals floating on the water.
The effect of this flood in the neighbouring villages was very great. It cased a great loss of human life and property. Crops were damaged, trees were uprooted, houses were washed away, cattle were drowned. It was followed by epidemics. Heavy loss of life and property took place. A number of charitable person helped the poor sufferers of flood. Some people collected money to help the unfortunate families. Some generous people gave milk, clothes and bread to these poor sufferers. Relief camps also helped them a lot. I offered my service as a volunteer. Arrangement was made for the distribution of food, clothes and medicines by the government officials.
To mitigate the evils of flood, big tanks and canals should be dug out. Big dams should be constructed to store the water of the flooded rivers. People should be trained to serve in such calamities. They should be taught swimming and rowing. Government is paying every possible attention of the problem of flood control. The knowledge of modern science should be used for controlling them.