By Puranjit Gangopadhyay
Monsoon flooding, Kolkata, India. Seasonal flood waters have benefits, too. Each year they deposit tonnes of mineral-rich silt from the Himalayas along the Indo-Gangetic Plain. This fertile region, known as “India’s bread basket”, is home to half a billion people. As rains become more unpredictable, India must find ways to control severe flooding while being able to keep feeding the population.