FLOOD AND DROUGHT

Unit III
 Content
• Natural Disasters
• Flood Estimation
• Frequency analysis
• Flood control
• Definitions of droughts-Meteorological,
hydrological and agricultural droughts
• IMD method
• NDVI analysis
• Drought Prone Area Programme (DPAP)
 What is flood?
• Any flow which is relatively high and which overtops
natural or artificial bank in any reach of the river is
called flood.
• Floods are produced when the capacity of the river
channel is inadequate to carry off the abnormal
quantity of water arising from heavy rainfall
• The flood forecasts are issued on the basis of the
analysis of weather charts and indicate the likelihood
of heavy rainfall over the specified areas with the next
24 to 48 hours. All India forecasts are prepared every
day at poona.
 Methods to determine peak flood
• Physical indications of past flood
• Empirical formulae and curves
• Rational method
• Unit hydrograph method
• Frequency analysis
 Rational Method
For uniform rainfall intensity occurring for very long duration. Runoff
increases from zero to constant value. Applicable to small area upto
50km2. Peak runoff is:
Q = CIA
360
Qpeak = peak runoff rate, m3/s
C = runoff coefficient 0 to 1 (ratio of runoff to the rainfall. Its value
depends on the land use and soil types)
I = rainfall intensity (mm/h)
A = catchment area (ha)
 Empirical Formulae
• These are regional formulae based on catchment properties. Q = f(A)
• Dickens formula: used in central and north India.
Q = CDA3/4
CD is Dickens constant 6-30
• Ryves formula: used in Tamil Nadu and parts of Karnataka and Andhra
Pradesh.
Q = CRA2/3
CR is Ryves coefficient 6.8-10.2
• Inglis formula: used in Maharashtra
Q = 124A
√(A + 10.4)
• Envelope Curve: Flood peak data from number of catchments with similar
meteorological and topographical characteristics are collected. The data is
plotted on a log-log paper as flood peak vs catchment area. Envelope
curve equation Q = f(A).
 Flood Frequency Studies
• Another method to predict flood flows is the statistical method of
frequency analysis.
• The annual max flood from a given catchment is arranged in decreasing
order. It constitutes a hydrologic data series called annual series.
• The probability of each event being exceeded or equalled is given by
Weibull formula:
P = m/( N + 1 )
m – order number of event
N – total number of event
• The recurrence interval T is given by:
T = 1/P = ( N + 1 )/ m
• Flood magnitude Q (cumecs) in Y-axis vs Return Period T (years) in X-axis is
the flood frequency plot or empirical probability distribution curve.
 Frequency distribution functions
used for flood peaks and max rainfall
• Gumbel’s extreme-value distribution
• Log-pearson type III distribution
• Log normal distribution
 Design flood
• Type, importance of the structure and economic development of the
surrounding area dictate the design criteria for choosing the flood
magnitude.
• Design Flood: It is a flood discharge adopted for the design of structure
after careful consideration of economic and hydrologic factors.
• Spillway Design Flood: design flood used for designing the spillway of a
storage structure. It denotes the max discharge that can be passed in a
hydraulic structure without any damage or serious threat to the stability of
the structure.
• Standard Project Flood: the flood that would result from a severe
combination of meteorological and hydrological factors that are
reasonably applicable to the region. Extremely rare combinations are
excluded.
• Probable Maximum Flood: the extreme flood that is physically possible in
a region. Used when failure of the structure would result in loss of life and
catastrophic damage.
• SPF = 40 to 60% of PMF
 Flood control measures
* By confining the flow between high banks by
constructing levees, dykes or flood walls.
* By channel improvement by cutting, straightening
or deepening and Following River training works.
* By distribution of water to various streams.
• By providing a temporary storage of the flood
peaks by constructing upstream reservoirs and
retarding basins.
• Check on deforestation and well planned
watershed management project.
 Drought

 Drought is a prolonged dry period in the natural climate cycle that can
occur anywhere in the world. Results in shortage of water.
 The India Meteorological Department (IMD) defines drought in any
area when the rainfall deficiency in that area is ≥26% of its long term
normal.
 moderate and severe drought when deficiency is between 26 to 50%
and more than 50% respectively.
 Types of
drought

• Meteorological or ‘rainfall drought’- This is a period when there is little or

no rainfall
• Agricultural or soil ‘moisture drought’ - When the levels of water in the soil
are low.
• Hydrological or ‘river drought’ - When water levels in rivers and lakes are
low.
 Causes of Drought
• Due to presence of dry, high pressure air system, less moisture is available
for rain.
• When winds shift the air masses. Warm, dry air moves over cooler, moist
air masses.
• Human activities such as deforestation, excessive irrigation, construction of
building etc
• Global warming causes increased rainfall in certain area and drought is
some areas.
Salient functions of Drought Research Unit
• Defining meteorological drought and its intensity.
• Delineation and identification of Drought Prone
areas of the country
• Study of past droughts and monitoring Agricultural
drought conditions.
• Issuing weekly aridity outlook and
• Research on different aspects of drought.
 IMD method
• India Meteorological Department (IMD) monitors the incidence, spread,
intensification and cessation of drought on a weekly time scale over the country
based on Aridity Anomaly Index.
• It issues Weekly Drought Outlook, which indicates the impending drought scenario
in the country in the subsequent week.
• Based on Aridity anomaly index, weekly Aridity Anomaly Reports and maps for the
Southwest Monsoon Season for the whole country and for the Northeast Monsoon
Season for the five meteorological sub-divisions (coastal Andhra Pradesh,
Rayalaseema, south Interior Karnataka, Tamil Nadu & Pondicherry and Kerala) are
prepared and sent to HQ and various agricultural authorities of State and Central
Govts., and research institutes.
• These Aridity Anomaly maps/reports help to assess the moisture stress experienced
by growing plants and to monitor agricultural drought situation in the country.
AI = PE – AE X 100
PE
Where PE: potential evapotranspiration
AE: actual evapotranspiration
 NDVI analysis
• Normalized Difference Vegetation Index
(NDVI) is a simple index to monitor the state
of vegetation (stressed/unstressed) which can
be derived from satellite data.
• Used for identifying and monitoring droughts
affecting agriculture.
• It quantifies vegetation by measuring the
difference between near-infrared (which
vegetation strongly reflects) and red light
(which vegetation absorbs).
• Healthy vegetation (chlorophyll) reflects more
near-infrared (NIR) and green light compared
to other wavelengths. But it absorbs more red
and blue light.
• Range -1 to +1,
-1 = water, cloud or snow.
+1 = dense green leaves.
Zero = urbanized area.
 Preventive measures

• Dams/reservoirs to store water.

• Water rationing.
• Watershed management.
• Cattle management and proper crop
selection.
• Reducing deforestation and following
soil-conservation techniques.
• Education and training to people.
• Participatory community programmes
 Drought
prone area
 Drought Prone Area Program
• Objectives : to minimise the adverse effects of drought on production of
crops and livestock and productivity of land, water and human
resources. It aims to promote overall economic development and
improving the socio-economic conditions of the resource poor and
disadvantaged sections.
• The programme was first launched by GOI during 1973-74, to address
special problems of drought prone areas.
• Central and State Government share the cost in the ratio of 75 : 25. 80% of
the cost is devoted towards watershed development activities and rest
20% for community organization, training and administrative jobs. The
project is to be completed over a period of five years.
• It covers 972 blocks of 183 districts in 16 States. (Andhra Pradesh, Bihar,
Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand,
Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu,
Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal and West Bengal). The identified dry sub
humid area under the programme is about 7.46 lakh km2.
 Flood Routing
• It is the procedure where by shape of the
flood hydrograph at a particular location on
the stream is determined from the known or
assumed flood hydrograph at some other
location.
• types of flood routing? i) Channel routing ii)
Reservoir routing