A devastating flood situation in Western Maharashtra's Krishna basin has exposed chinks in the armour of river management and caused unprecedented destruction of agriculture, cattle stock and immovable property. This will have a long-lasting bearing on the livelihood of the southern part of the state which has been self-reliant and richer than the rest of Maharashtra. The damage is bad news for the hotbed of sugar and dairy cooperatives when the country's economy is not doing as expected.

Delay in reaching out to the victims, if any, must be blamed on the government. The ruling parties shouldn't shy away from owning mismanagement notwithstanding its political fall-out ahead of the Assembly polls. A week-long natural calamity and its mitigation, be it rescue or relief management, warrant a comprehensive review that should translate into a whitepaper-like document for meeting similar eventualities in the future.