B.A.

(PROGRAM)

SEMESTER V

GENERIC ELECTIVE: DISASTER MANAGEMENT

UNIT 2: FLOODS IN INDIA

(CAUSES, IMPACT, DISTRIBUTION AND MAPPING)

BASIC CONCEPTS

Among all the disasters that occur in India, floods are the most commonly occurring natural
disasters due to the irregularities of the Indian monsoon. About 75% of the annual rainfall in
India is concentrated in 3-4 months of the monsoon season. As a result, there is very heavy
discharge from rivers during the period causing widespread floods.

WHAT IS FLOOD?

❑ Flood is a term used to denote an enormous amount of water. When there is an

outflow of water in a place, it is said to be flooded.

❑ In other words, flood is a state of higher water level along a river channel or on coast
leading to inundation of land that is not normally submerged.

❑ The flood may take different forms such as in the form of heavy rainfall when there is
a breaking of the dam. Also, the melting of snow also leads to flooding.

❑ Floods lead to an overfull and huge spread of water but are not considered safe for
the purpose of drinking.

❑ Flood, therefore, is a natural disaster which causes considerable damage to the crops,
livestock and human life.

IMPORTANT FACTS

 Approximately 60% of the flood damage in the country occurs from river floods, while
40% is due to heavy rainfall and cyclones.

 Damages by the Himalayan Rivers account for 60% of the total damage in the country.

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  About 27% of the flood damage in the country is accounted for by Bihar, 33% by Uttar
Pradesh and Uttarakhand and 15% by Punjab and Haryana.

CAUSES OF FLOOD IN INDIA

Floods are caused by natural, ecological or anthropogenic factors either individually or as a

combined result. The various causes of floods in India are as follows:

1. MASSIVE RAINFALL

Drainage systems and the effective infrastructure design aid during heavy rains. They help the
drainage of excess water into reservoirs in an easy way. But in cases of heavy rainfall, the
systems stop working. Thus, flood is caused.

2. OVERFLOWING OF THE RIVERS

The people living along the river always have a risk of life from the overflowing of the Rivers.
To prevent such a situation, a string of dams is built. However, if these dams are not managed
properly, they may cause flooding and huge damage.

3. RISE IN RIVER BED

Due to large gradients, the Himalayan rivers carry a large amount of silt and sand which are
ultimately deposited in the catchment area, and on the river bed. Siltation reduces the
carrying capacity of the river and a rise in river bed causing flood.

4. THE MEANDERING TENDENCY OF RIVER-FLOW

In the flat terrain rivers have the tendency to meander or change the course within a specific
boundary. Lower reaches of Gangetic plains and Brahmaputra.

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5. SNOWMELT

At the time of the high melting of snow due to heavy precipitation and other factors, the
situation of flooding arises. Adopting sustainable measures for heavy precipitation can help
in dealing with the flooding situation.

6. DEFORESTATION

The cutting of trees in a reckless manner i.e., deforestation is also a major cause of man-made
flooding. Trees prevent soil erosion and also the loss of crops. The vegetation is also enriched
as a result of more and more trees. This also blocks the massive flow of rain, thus preventing
flooding.

7. CLIMATE CHANGE

The climatic changes caused due to human practices also add to the risk of flooding. Human
beings cut trees in a large number, thus affecting the process of photosynthesis. Thus
increased level of carbon-di-oxide in the atmosphere cause changes in climate posing threats
of natural disasters like floods etc.

8. CYCLONES

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Tropical cyclones accompanied by strong winds, high tidal bores causing inundation of coastal
regions. Floods due to cyclone are common in the East coast of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh,
Odisha and West Bengal.

9. SILTING IN DELTA AREAS

Sea tides deposit silt on the river-mouths and discharge channels leading to the steady
deterioration of their discharge capacity.

10. OBSTRUCTION OF FREE-FLOW OF RIVERS

Embankments, railways, canals etc. obstruct the free flow of rivers leading to flooding.

11. INADEQUATE DRAINAGE ARRANGEMENT

After the introduction of irrigation in some areas, the sub-soil water table rises fast unless the
adequate arrangement is simultaneously made for both surface and sub-surface drainage.
Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

12. EARTHQUAKE AND LANDSLIDE

This natural disaster changes the river course and consequently cause a flood.

13. DEFORESTATION

Deforestation causes the acceleration of runoff and lowering of infiltration. Deforestation of

hill slopes leads to greater run-off which raises the water level in rivers. The Western Ghats,
Shiwaliks and Chotanagpur plateau region.

14. CLOUD BURST

Cloud bursts lead to a high amount of rainfall within a short time leading to flash floods. Flash
flood generally occurs in the Himalayan region.

15. COLLAPSED DAMS

In the event of huge rainfall, the dams built begin to collapse. Thus, causing the flood situation
to become even critical for the people living around.

16. EMISSION OF GREENHOUSE GASES

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The burning of fossil fuels, the industrial influences, the pollution all is depleting the level of
the ozone layer and increasing the level of greenhouse gases, becoming a major cause of man-
made flooding.

17. OTHER FACTORS

The broken supply lines cause the outflow of water but lead to less damage. Also, there is
water flow from the washing machines. Furthermore, overflow from dishwashers worsens
the situation. Also, the lack of proper sewage systems adds to the destruction of this natural
disaster.

Thus, a flood can be caused both due to natural causes as well as it can be a human-made
flood.

IMPACTS OF FLOOD

Flood causes a huge loss of life and property. Waterborne diseases spread as a result of floods
causing health problems. Moreover, the destruction of roadways and infrastructure facilities,
the disturbance of ecosystems, improper sewage systems all demand serious efforts of
adopting sustainable measures. The major impacts are discussed below:

 Damage to Road and Transport

Damage to roads and transport infrastructure may make it difficult to mobilize aid to
those affected or to provide emergency health treatment.

 Loss of Agricultural Land and Food Shortages

Flood waters typically inundate farm land, making the land unworkable and preventing
crops from being planted or harvested, which can lead to shortages of food both for
humans and farm animals.

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  Damage to Plant Species

Some tree species may not survive prolonged flooding of their root systems

 Loss of Power and Drinking Water Crisis

Floods damages power transmission which then has knock-on effects caused by the loss
of power. This includes loss of drinking water treatment and water supply, which may
result in loss of drinking water or severe water contamination.

 Lack of Sewage Disposal Facilities

Lack of clean water combined with human sewage in the flood waters raises the risk of
waterborne diseases like typhoid, giardia, cryptosporidium, cholera and many other
diseases depending upon the location of the flood.

 Flood damage
More significant than the loss of life and damage to property is the sense of insecurity
and fear in the minds of people living in the floodplains. The after-effects of flood, such
as the suffering of survivors, spread of disease, non-availability of essential commodities
and medicines and loss of dwellings, make floods the most feared of the natural disasters
faced by humankind. Heavy flood damage was inflicted during the monsoon of 1955,
1971, 1973, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1998, 2001 and 2004. Highlights of the
damage are given below:

DISTRIBUTION: FLOOD-PRONE AREAS IN INDIA

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1. The basin of the Himalayan rivers covering a part of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh,
Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. The Kosi and the Damodar are
the main rivers causing floods.
2. The North-Western River basin covering the states of Jammu and Kashmir, parts of
Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. The Jhelum, the Sutlej,
the Beas the Ravi and the Chenab are the rivers causing floods in this region.
3. The Central and Peninsular River basins covering Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Andhra
Pradesh and Maharashtra, contain the Narmada the Tapi, the Chambal and the
Mahanadi. Heavy floods occur in the Godavari, the Krishna the Pennar and the Cauvery
at long intervals and flood problem is generally serious.

Figure 1: FLOODS DUE TO MONSOON RAIN IN INDIA (Insert the map made in the class)

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Source: National Disaster Management Authority, Ministry of Home Affairs

Figure 2: MAJOR RIVERS AND FLOOD PRONE AREA

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 Figure 3: TOP 10 FLOOD PRONE AREAS IN INDIA

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MAJOR FLOODS IN INDIA: AT A GLANCE

❑ Heavy rains across the state of Maharashtra, including large areas of the metropolis
Mumbai which received 567 (tmkoc inches) alone on 26 July 2005 killed at-least 1,094
people. The day is still remembered as the day Mumbai came to a standstill, as the
city faced worst ever rain. Mumbai International Airport remained closed for 30 hours,

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 Mumbai-Pune Expressway was closed for 24 hours with public property loss was
estimated at ₹550 crore (US$77 million).

❑ June 2013 North Indian floods: Heavy rain due to a burst of a cloud caused severe
floods and landslides on the North Indian states, mainly Uttarakhand and nearby
states. More than 5,700 people were presumed dead.

❑ Gujarat flood: Heavy rain in June 2015 resulted in widespread flood in Saurashtra
region of Gujarat resulting in more than 70 deaths. The wild life of Gir Forest National
Park and adjoining area was also affected.

❑ South Indian floods: Heavy rain in Nov-Dec 2015 resulted in flooding of Adyar, Cooum
rivers in Chennai, Tamil Nadu resulting in financial loss and human lives.

❑ Assam floods (2016): Heavy rains in July–August resulted in floods affecting 1.8 million
people and flooding the Kaziranga National Park killing around 200 wild animals.

❑ Gujarat flood: Following heavy rain in July 2017, Gujarat state of India was affected by
the severe flood resulting in more than 200 deaths.

❑ Kerala Flood: Following high rain in late August 2018 and heavy Monsoon rainfall from
August 8, 2018, severe flooding affected the Indian state of Kerala resulting over 445
deaths.

❑ Indian floods: Following high rain in late July and early August 2019, series of floods
that affected over nine states in India. The states of Kerala, Madhya Pradesh,
Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat were the most severely affected.

❑ Brahmaputra floods: The 2020 Brahmaputra floods were an unprecedented flood

event along the Brahmaputra River and its tributaries due to significant monsoon rains
in India, Bangladesh and Myanmar. 124 people were killed by the flooding and
landslides, and about six million people were displaced. The worst hit area was the
state of Assam in India. Flooding significantly affected Kaziranga National Park, where
540 animals died including 16 rhinos.

❑ 2020 Assam floods: 2020 Assam floods refers to the significant flood event of the
Brahmaputra River in the Indian north-eastern state of Assam and coincided with the
COVID-19 pandemic. Initial flooding started in May 2020 due to heavy rainfall affecting

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 30,000 and destroying crops across 5 districts.[1][2] As of October 2020 the floods
affected over five million people, claiming the lives of 123 people, with an additional
26 deaths due to landslides, 5474 villages were affected and over one hundred and
fifty thousand people found refuge in relief camps.

❑ The 2020 Hyderabad floods: It wase a series of floods associated with Deep
Depression BOB 02 that caused extensive damage and loss of life as a result of flash
flooding in Hyderabad, India in October 2020. The fourth tropical cyclone and third
deep depression of the 2020 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, BOB 02 formed on
11 October over the west-central Bay of Bengal and slowly drifted towards the east
coast of India over the following three days.

❑ 2021 Uttarakhand Flood: The 2021 Uttarakhand flood, also known as the Chamoli
disaster, began on 7 February 2021 in the environs of the Nanda Devi National Park, a
UNESCO World Heritage Site in the outer Garhwal Himalayas in Uttarakhand state,

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 India. It was caused by a large rock and ice avalanche consisting of material dislodged
from Ronti peak. It caused flooding in the Chamoli district, most notably in the
Rishiganga river, the Dhauliganga river, and in turn the Alaknanda—the major
headstream of the Ganges. The disaster left over 200 killed or missing, most were
workers at the Tapovan dam site.

❑ 2021 Maharashtra Floods: A series of floods took place across the Indian state of
Maharashtra in 2021. As of 28 July 2021, around 251 people have died and over 100
are still missing due to floods and landslides. Thirteen districts have been affected in
western Maharashtra. The flood was part of a series of tightly clustered extreme
weather events in July 2021, including extreme rain events in Henan, China and
Europe and is part of an increase in rain events during the Indian monsoon season
caused by climate change.

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MANAGEMENT OF FLOODS

Taking steps such as afforestation, decreased the emission of harmful gases into the
atmosphere could help. Also, enrichment of vegetation, fewer deeds causing pollution and
treatment of sewage could be useful ways to combat the situation.

Structural measures
The following structural measures are generally adopted for flood protection:

• Embankments, flood walls, sea -walls

• Dams and reservoirs
• Natural detention basins
• Channel improvement
• Drainage improvement
• Diversion of flood waters.

Non-structural measures

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Non-structural measures include:

• Flood forecasting and warning

• Floodplain zoning
• Flood fighting
• Flood proofing
• Flood insurance.

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