INTRODUCTION

Q1 Where and when floods have occurred in India in last decade

2017 Mumbai Flood

2017 Mumbai flood was the second worst regional flooding in Mumbai and can be
compared with the 2005 floods. Due to climate change Mumbai received 468 mm of
rainfall in twelve hours.

2017 Gujarat Flood

2017 Gujarat flood was occured due to heavy inflow to Dharoi Dam and Dantiwada
Dam, along with neighbouring state of Rajasthan.

2017 Bihar Flood

2017 Bihar flood was result of water discharge into the Himalayan rivers of Gandak
and Kosi (Sorrow of Bihar). The state of Bihar is India’s most flood prone State and
receives heavy rainfall in monsoon season.

2017 Northeast India Floods

The 2017 Northeast India floods was due to the overflowing of Brahmaputra river
and affected 15 districts of Assam state.

2016 Brahmaputra Floods

Brahmaputra floods or 2016 Assam floods was affected 1.8 million people in India as
well as wildlife of Kaziranga National Park and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary.

2015 Chennai Floods

2015 South Indian floods mostly affected the Coromandel Coast region and
particularly the city of Chennai. Chennai, Cuddalore and Chidambaram districts were
among those most severely affected districts.

2015 Gujarat Flood

2015 Gujarat flood in June and July was part of the Gujarat cyclone and Amreli

district was badly affected. Gir Forest National Park was severely affected and large

number of cattle died in three districts.

2008 Bihar flood was another most disastrous floods in the state and affected over
2.3 million people, killed 250 people.

Q2 What are the reasons of flood

But before that we should know about floods
Q So what are floods

A flood is an overflow of water that submerges land that is usually dry. Flooding may occur as an
overflow of water from water bodies, such as a river, lake, or ocean, in which the water overtops
or breaks levees, resulting in some of that water escaping its usual boundaries,[2] 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 flood property or drown
domestic animals.

ANS

1. Heavy Downpours:
Areas which are subject to serious
floods are mainly in the Plains of
Northern India. It is estimated that over
90 per cent of the total damage done
to property and crops in India is done
in the Plains of Northern India. The
Lower Narmada and the Lower Tapti
valleys, the deltas of the Mahanadi, the
Godavari and the Krishna are also
inundated from time to time.
Heavy downpour of rain in the
catchment areas of rivers and in the
poorly drained areas is the major
cause of floods. Spells of unusually
heavy rains occur during the summer
monsoon rainy season except in Tamil
Nadu where some areas may,
however, be flooded during winter
months.
2. Poor Drainage and Congestion:
In the plains of eastern Uttar Pradesh
and Bihar, large areas are inundated
where the Ganga receives its left-bank
tributaries namely the Ghaghara, the
Gandak, the Burhi Gandak, and the
Kosi, and the right-bank tributary, the
some during the rainy season. Near
the confluences of these tributaries
with the Ganga the free flow of their
water is obstructed when the Ganga
itself is in flood.
3. Annual Deposition of Silt:
The Kosi, the Tista, the Torsa and a
number of other rivers drain large
catchment areas in the Himalayas.
Laden with heavy charge of sand and
silt they emerge from the Himalayan
gorges and enter the level plains
where they lose speed. Slackening of
the speed of water results in the
deposition of the load and spreading of
water over large areas. The annual
deposition of silt and sand raises the
bed and thus reduces the capacity of
the river to accommodate flood water.
4. Land Depression:
The Assam Valley is another fertile belt
which is affected sometimes seriously
by flood havocs. Heavy rainfall
amounting to over 250 cm during the
rainy season in north-east Assam is
the chief cause of the floods in the
Assam Valley. The Brahmaputra which
drains this valley receives from its
tributaries, the Dibang and the Luhit, a
large amount of water heavily laden
with silt. The silt which is deposited in
the river channel makes it shallow.
Thus, the capacity of the rivers to carry
large volume of flood-water is reduced.
Besides, landslides are frequent in
north-eastern Assam. Huge landslides
which obstruct the flow of water for
sometime yield later to the pressure of
the accumulated water. Water
devastates large areas downstream.
5. Deforested Catchment Areas:
Floods are almost a regular feature in
the coastal lowlands of Odisha.
Devastating inundations occur in this
belt almost every other year. Here the
major causes of floods are (a) the
deforested catchment areas of the
rivers and (b) the off-shore bars which
choke the mouths of the rivers and
obstruct the free flow of water into the
sea. Owing to the deposition of silt in
the deltas, rivers have a tendency to
change their courses.
6. Cyclonic Storms:
The deltas of the Godavari and the
Krishna have also suffered from floods
2time and again. Lower courses of the
Narmada and the Tapti have to face a
similar fate. Floods in these areas also
result from incessant rains and the
occurrence of high tides at the time
when the rivers are in spate. In the
Plateau of Peninsular India south of
the Satpura Range, floods are not only
far less destructive but also far less
recurrent than in the other parts of the
country.
This is due to the fact that here the
rainfall is relatively less and load
carried by the rivers small. The organs
of modern civilization viz., road
embankments, railways and canals
also obstruct the free, flow of water
and thus cause floods. Near the
coastal areas, devastating floods have
been caused by the cyclonic storms,
particularly when they visit the coastal
areas at the time of high tides.
Case study:Uttrakhand
In the early hours of June 17, 2013 a flash flood came down upon the
overflowing banks of the Chorabari lake in Uttarakhand. Carrying huge
amounts of silt and rocks, it destroyed lives, houses and everything else
that came its way.

What was the cause of the flood?

Despite the fact that heavy rainfall and cloudbursts are natural causes for the floods
and landslides, environmentalists believe that the disaster of 2013 was a manmade
one. “Unplanned and haphazard construction, mismanaged tourism and related
activities including intensive mining in this fragile ecosystem are some of the
reasons that made to name this natural disaster partly as man-made that increased
the intensity and magnitude of damages,” writes Kala. Over the years the number
of pilgrims visiting the area had also exponentially increased. In order to meet with
the rising demands of religious tourism, the state government built an intricate
network of roads, hotels, lodges and carried out other construction activities into
the remote mountainous regions of the Himalayas. However, it is also true that the
unexpected timing of the rainfall and the unusual amount of it also did not leave
enough time for the pilgrims to evacuate, thereby increasing the magnitude of the
impact.
How was the relief work carried out?
The relief work was carried out by a combined team of army, airforce, navy, Indo-
Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Border Security Force, National Disaster Response
Force (NDRF), Public Works Department as well as by local administration.
Within five days, the army had deployed about 10,000 soldiers and the airforce had
brought in more than 45 pieces of aircraft to carry out the rescue operation. The
ITBP which guards the Indo-China border swung into action even before the army
or the air force could reach the spot. They apparently managed to rescue more than
33,000 people from remote, inaccessible mountain zones. It is worth noting that
after the disaster, the rescue operation in the region in itself has become a risky
affair due to the unpredictable weather conditions, mountainous topography and
lack of accessibility in majority of the routes.

In the aftermath of the disaster, the fear among pilgrims resulted in a

severe blow to tourism, which is a major source of income for most of the
local inhabitants of the place. The Nanda Devi Raj Jaat which is a most
important festival in Uttarakhand that takes place every 12 years was
scheduled to take place on August 29, 2013. However, the state
government was forced to cancel it on account of the damage caused to
roads and bridges. However, religious tourism continued to remain affected
for the next couple of years. It is worth noting though that despite the
damage caused and the fear instilled by the floods, faith of the pilgrims was
restored when they realised that though most parts of Kedarnath town had
undergone a catastrophe, what remained untouched was the Shiva temple
built in the 8th century AD.

Precautions:
Protecting your home
 Elevate the furnace, water heater, and electric panel
if susceptible to flooding
 Install check valves in sewer traps to prevent
floodwater from backing up into your home.
 Seal walls in basements with waterproofing
compounds to avoid seepage.
  Keep an adequate supply of food, candles and
drinking water in case you are trapped inside your
home.
When a flood is imminent
 Listen to designated radio/TV emergency alert
systems for emergency instructions.
 Secure/bring in outdoor furniture or other items
that might float away and become a potential
hazard.
 Move valuable items and papers/documents to
upper floors.
During a flood
 Seek higher ground. Do not wait for instructions.
 Be aware of flash flood areas such as canals,
streams, drainage channels.
 Be ready to evacuate.
 If instructed, turn off utilities at main switches and
unplug appliances - do not touch electrical
equipment if wet.
 If you must leave your home, do not walk through
moving water. Six inches of moving water can
knock you off your feet. Use a stick to test depth.
 Do not try to drive over a flooded road. If your car
stalls, abandon it immediately and seek an alternate
route.
After a flood
  Stay away from flood water - do not attempt to
swim, walk or drive through the area
 Be aware of areas where water has receded.
Roadways may have weakened and could collapse.
 Avoid downed power lines and muddy waters
where power lines may have fallen.
 Do not drink tap water until advised by the Health
Unit that the water is safe to drink.
 Once flood waters have receded you must not live
in your home until the water supply has been
declared safe for use, all flood-contaminated rooms
have been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected,
adequate toilet facilities are available, all electrical
appliances and heating/cooling systems have been
inspected, food, utensils and dishes have been
examined, cleaned or disposed of, and floor drains
and sumps have been cleaned and disinfected.

CONCLUSION:
Climate change is expected to affect flooding through
changes in rainfall, temperature, sea level and river
processes. Climate change will exacerbate the existing effects
of flooding on infrastructure and community services,
including roads, storm water and wastewater systems and
drainage, river flood mitigation works, and private and public
assets including houses, businesses and schools.
Climate change may change flood risk management priorities
and may even increase the risk from flooding to
unacceptable levels in some places. It is therefore important
that your flood risk assessments incorporate an
understanding of the impacts of climate change on the flood
hazard.

Managing present-day and future risk from

flooding involves a combination of risk-
avoidance and risk-reduction activities. The
treatment options could be a combination of
avoiding risk where possible, controlling risk
through structural or regulatory measures,
transferring risk through insurance, accepting
risk, emergency management planning,
warning systems, and communicating risk
(including residual risk) to affected parties.
The best combination will consider the needs
of future generations and not lock
communities into a future of increasing risks
from flooding.