Gujarat  

Don’t blame the Banas. Okay, so the river, originating in Rajasthan and flowing southwards through the plains of Gujarat, got out of hand this year, but that was rain’s doing. Typically, Gujarat receives rains thanks to an “active system” from the Arabian Sea or the Bay of Bengal. This year, both got activated. The last the state saw such heavy rains was in 1905. No sorrow this or that kind of a moniker for Banas. It is fondly known as Van ki Asha or the hope of the forests. What is hopeless, however, is the way our politicians continue to politick over floods.

Rajasthan  

With the Gujarat Rajya Sabha elections happening around the same time, of course, all eyes were on the state. There was NaMo’s aerial survey. RaGa’s ground visit. Smriti Irani chhi chhiing Congress MLAs from the flood-ravaged Banaskantha for being away in Bengaluru getting non-poached. Meanwhile, the floods continued to wreak havoc in Rajasthan. The PM didn’t go. Rahul Gandhi did but couldn’t control the diatribe. He said: “Due to the Assembly election, PM Modi toured Gujarat and announced relief package, but he totally ignored the woes of people affected by floods in Jalore which is adjoining to Gujarat.”

Assam

It didn’t need pointing out. Everyone noticed how the PM waited for a month and some criticism before turning his attention Assamwards. The state is experiencing a second wave of floods this year. The first, from May to July. Around two million people have been affected. What’s to blame? Primarily, geography, topography, meteorological factors. Boring, eh? Rahul Gandhi, in all his tragic-connectedness, was there too. He said: “We have asked our Congress party workers to help you people rebuild your houses damaged by the floods.”

And Gorakhpur  

North Bengal is under water. Tripura, Meghalaya and Arunachal face flood threats. Bihar’s Kosi is flowing over the danger mark. Red alert in Odisha. Kashmir saw flash floods in mid-July, but a repeat of 2014 is unlikely. In the meantime, UP’s Gorakhpur was inundated with the anguished tears of parents whose children died in a hospital for want of oxygen. All of India is gasping. Among the dead are newborns who had not even been named. Akhilesh and Mayawati did a fair amount of fingerpointing. CM Adityanath said no one was more pained than him. Now, nature might be cruel, even discriminatory, but rarely deceptive, almost never opportunistic.

Upala Sen