Bhiwandi Floods Floods Introduction:

A flood is an overflow of water that submerges land which is normally dry.[1] The European Union (EU) Floods Directive defines a flood as a covering bywater of land not normally covered by water.[2] In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Flooding may occur as an overflow of water from water bodies, such as a river or lake, in which the water overtops or breaks levees, resulting in some of that water escaping its usual boundaries,[3] or it may occur due to an accumulation of rainwater on saturated ground in an areal flood. While the size of a lake or other body of water will vary with seasonal changes in precipitation and snow melt, these changes in size are unlikely to be considered significant unless they floodproperty or drown domestic animals. Floods can also occur in rivers when the flow rate exceeds the capacity of the river channel, particularly at bends or meanders in the waterway. Floods often cause damage to homes and businesses if they are in the natural flood plains of rivers. While riverine flood damage can be eliminated by moving away from rivers and other bodies of water, people have traditionally lived and worked by rivers because the land is usually flat and fertile and because rivers provide easy travel and access to commerce and industry. Some floods develop slowly, while others such as flash floods, can develop in just a few minutes and without visible signs of rain. Additionally, floods can be local, impacting a neighbourhood or community, or very large, affecting entire river basins.

Causes & Types of flood

Floods are categorized into natural and artificial floods in terms of their specific causes. Flood is basically a natural hydrological phenomenon. Its occurrence is usually the aftermath of meteorological events. These included:

an intense and prolonged rainfall spells; unusually high coastal and estuarine waters due to storm surges, seiches, etc.

Floods are also caused, indirectly, by seismic activities. Coastal areas are particularly susceptible to flooding due to tsunamis (seismic sea waves). Sinking of land due to earthquakes reduces the elevation of land areas. In the vicinity of lakes and rivers, these areas become flood-prone. Likewise, the uplifting of lake and river beds from seismic causes sometime results in the overflowing of these bodies of water. The water then inundates the surrounding and adjacent areas. To a certain extent, astronomically influenced phenomena such as high tides coinciding with the occurrence of heavy rainfall frequently cause flooding.

Occasionally, floods occur unnaturally. These are usually the result of human activities. Such activities include:

Blasting - this causes landslides in the slopes of hills and mountains which may result in the unintentional damming of rivers and streams. Construction of temporary dams - this produces an impediment to the flow of a river or stream which then results in an overflow; Failure of hydraulic and other control structures - accidents like the breaking of a dike result in the entry of an enormous quantity of water in a protected area; and Mismanagement of hydraulic structures - control structures like dams which are utilized for various purposes are usually operated according to what is known as an "operation rule" and mismanagement which results in the violation of the rule may necessitate an untimely and sudden release of large amounts of excess water.

While not quite so obvious, human activities that tend to alter the ecological system in a river basin will have an impact on the hydrology of the catchment. This could, in the future, result in frequent floods. Foremost among such activities is the denudation of forest and watershed areas. Floods vary in degree of severity in terms of areas extent or magnitude and in depth. They are, thus, classified as minor or major flooding. In a minor flooding, inundation may or may not be due to overbanking. When there is no bank overflow, flooding is simply due to the accumulation of excessive surface run-off in low lying flat areas. Floodwaters are usually confined to the flood plain of the river along the channel, on random low-lying areas and depressions in the terrain. Floodwater is usually shallow and there may not be a perceptible flow. During a major flood, flooding is caused by the overflowing of rivers and lakes; by serious breaks in dikes, levees, dams and other protective structures; by uncontrollable releases of impounded water in reservoirs and by the accumulation of excessive runoff. Floodwaters cover a wide contiguous area and spread rapidly to adjoining areas of relatively lower elevation. Flooding is relatively deep in most parts of the stricken areas. There is a highly perceptible current as the flood spreads to other areas. While floods take some time, usually from 12 to 24 hours or even longer, to develop after the occurrence of intense rainfall, there is a particular type which develops after no more than six hours and, frequently, after an even less time. These are what are known as "flash floods". Flash floods develop in hilly and mountainous terrains where the slope of the river is rather steep. The rapid development of the flood is due to the extremely short

concentration time of the drainage catchment. This means that precipitation falling on a point in the catchment farthest from the river takes only a short time to reach the river channel and become part of streamflow. Thus, the amount of streamflow rapidly increases and, consequently, the rise in water level. When the flow capacity of the stream is exceeded, the channel overflows and the result is a flash flood.

Floods in Bhiwandi
The floods that suddenly swept several towns and villages in Thane district on Wednesday left 12 people dead. At least 15 others are feared drowned and damage to property and livestock is estimated to run into crores of rupees according to official sources. Municipal commissioner R.D. Shinde told TNN that over 10,000 people in Bhiwandi alone were affected of which 7,000 had been moved to relief camps. Textile storehouses and processing units too have been badly affected. According to the police, 10 people from different villages were found dead on Thursday. Two persons are reported dead in Bhiwandi town. The heavy rains seemed to have caught the administrative officials on the wrong foot. An officials said that as against the normal rainfall of 65 mm the district received 350 mm this time. "We rushed our staff in jeeps and boats and requested those staying close to the river to leave. But very few heeded our warnings. Nobody could imagine that the water would flow almost 12 feet above the Bhiwandi-Wada bridge between 12.45 pm and 2pm. As the river ravages its banks destroying homes and uprooting hundreds those responsible for flood control floundered and were unable to handle the situation. The water came into shanties, small row houses and shops in the Nadi Naka area, Shelar Road, Ajay Park and Gokul Nagar. The flood control tower of the municipal corporation at Nadi Naka and a police check-post were badly affected. The control tower has a wireless set but does not have any divers. It has a staff of three workers and three clerks who have two boats at their command. An employee said, "We ourselves were stuck on the tower as water came into the ground floor and then surged up to the second. There were many

snakes and scorpions in the swirling waters and it was difficult to handle the situation. There was just no way we could rush out and help the marooned with the boats.'' Mr Shinde said the mechanised boats too proved to be inadequate and on Wednesday evening he and Thane district collector, Iqbal Singh Chhahel, who is camping in Bhiwandi, sought naval helicopters for rescue operations. It is not clear why no request for the choppers was made earlier in the day. The crisis for the administration worsened when four electric towers at Temghar collapsed disrupting drinking water supply. "But we have pressed in 25 tankers to provide water and have asked for more from the Thane and Kalyan municipal corporations,'' Mr Shinde said. On Thursday as the waters receded residents were seen collecting the rain water in bucketfuls to clean their damaged houses. A number of municipal cranes were clearing silt and muck from the water-logged areas. But the huge heaps of garbage along roadsides told a different storyIt had obviously not been cleared for days making the condition worse during a crisis like situation like this. Kamsil Harris, who runs a cyber cafe on the ground floor of an apartment in Ajay Park fears that his six computers have been badly damaged and is not certain if they can be repaired. Kamil Karnale who was stuck in the Nizampur area of the town spent an anxious time worrying about his livestock on the other side of the river across the Bhiwandi-Wada Road. By the time he reached his cowshed on Thursday morning, 39 of his buffaloes that had been chained had drowned. The municipality was yet to pick up the dead animals.

Effects of Bhiwandi floods

The looms have fallen silent in Bhiwandi. The rain that began on July 24, which submerged most of Bhiwandi, did not spare the power-loom sheds. Some of them were submerged in three metres of water for two days. The people are trying to deal with a calamity that has dealt a body blow to a major industry. On the riverbank at Rasoolabad Khadipar in Khoni village, which has rows of powerloom sheds, workers are busy checking the weaving on some of the looms. Many are lying in a state of complete disrepair. Watermarks on the walls indicate that the looms were submerged. The beams are damp and the yarn is wet. Mohammed Rafique, a worker, said there had been no work for eight days. The

weavers were the worst affected since they have gone without wages ever since the rain began. Brahm Deb, a young boy from Bihar who has been working in Bhiwandi for over a year, said he had not had work, at a daily wage of Rs.80, for a week. Nafiz Fareed, the owner of the powerloom company, which has 25 workers, said people were stuck for three days without any help. The daily production losses were estimated at around Rs.15,000; the total losses were estimated at around Rs.18 lakhs. It would take another 10 days to restore normalcy as the looms were submerged. He has 56 looms and will need at least Rs.5,000 to repair each loom. In the nearby powerloom shed, Mohammed Rehman and others are trying to revive the expensive jacquard looms, damaged in the flooding. "These looms cost Rs.1 lakh each and it will be a task to revive them," said Rehman. He and 14 other workers have not received their wages for over a week. "How can we expect payment when there is no work? It will take another 15 days to restart the looms and we may need Rs.5 lakhs to repair them," he said. Faizan Ahmed Azmi, president of the Maharashtra Powerloom Federation, said that of the six lakh power-looms in Bhiwandi, about 200,000 to 250,000 were affected. Also affected were materials, yarn and stored goods. He estimated the losses at Rs.600 crores. Many looms were under three metres of water. The town of Bhiwandi is synonymous with the powerloom industry. There are about eight lakh workers engaged in various aspects of cloth production and many of them have been rendered jobless. The powerlooms are located close to the riverbank and many of them are not insured. "Each loom will need Rs.15,000 to Rs.20,000 to be repaired," Azmi said. The sprawling warehouses near Bhiwandi, too, were flooded and stocks were damaged. At Arihant compound, rows of warehouses contain damp and damaged goods. "The water stayed here for three days," says Bajirao Naikde of Shree Malhar Transport Company. "I've lost all the papers and documents and it is difficult to value my losses. But it must be around Rs.15 to 20 lakhs," he said. Opposite is the godown of Pitambari products, which manufactures cleaning products. "We have lost goods worth Rs.70 to 80 lakhs stored in four sheds," said Kirti Kumar, manager. It was the main godown of the company. It is the pharmaceutical and textile companies that have sustained major losses. Bhiwandi is the "mother" godown for many drug companies such as Cipla, Novartis, Wockhardt, Ranbaxy, Pfizer and Lupin and losses are being pegged at Rs.1,000 crores. The stocks of many companies are unusable. The stocks of textiles were also damaged and losses were estimated at Rs.500 crores to Rs.1,000 crores.