12.04 hrs.
Title: Statement regarding management of floods- Laid.
MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Shri Sethi, has to make a statement.
THE M INISTER OF WATER RESOURCES (SHRI ARJUN SETHI): Sir, it is a very long statement. With your permission, can I lay it on the Table of the House?
MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Yes, it is a long statement. You can lay it on the Table of the House.
*SHRI ARJUN SETHI: Sir, I beg to lay on the Table a Statement regarding Management of Floods.
Reports of floods have been received from the State of Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Of these, the State of Orissa experienced severe floods. Some parts of Himachal Pradesh, Kerala and Tripura also experienced floods. Having regard to the extent of area affected, the most recent floods in Orissa should be referred at the very outset.
Floods in Orissa occurred in three phases. The first was in the beginning of July, 2001 caused by heavy rains in the catchment area of Mahanadi and release of water from certain reservoirs in Chhattisgarh into the Mahanadi system. This resulted in inundation in large number of districts including Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak, Khurda, Kendrapara and Kalahandhi etc. With the abatement of rains, the water receded around 11th July.
Again, following recurrence of torrential rains, sluice gates of the overflowing Hirakund reservoir had to be opened. To keep the Hirakund Dam out of danger, 7.85 lakh cusec of water was released on 18th July against the inflow of 8.53 lakh cusecs to bring down the water level to 628.35 ft. against the storage capacity of 630 ft. the resultant outflow with other run off caused by the next
* Laid on the table of the House.
round of extensive rains caused serious floods in 24 districts. The situation aggravated due to high tide which slowed down drainage in the Bay of Bengal.
The situation eased by about 22nd July only to recur around 25th July, 2001 with the next round of rains which affected many districts including Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak, Kendrapara and parts of Puri. In all, 96 human lives were lost with more than 16,000 villages and 87 lakh persons being affected. 8.91 lakh hectares of cropped area and 2.34 lakh houses have also been affected. The State Government rose to the occasion and deployed all available resources for relief and rescue which resulted in a much lesser toll of life than was possible given the magnitude of the flood. 6 lakh people were evacuated to safer places and relief material along with medicines was sent to the affected areas. The losses are yet to be assessed and quantified in detail as the State Government machinery is rightly concentrating on providing immediate relief.
In Bihar, the rivers Sone, Kosi, Bagmati, Ghaghra, Ganga, Punpun, Kamla-Balan, Burhi Gandak and Mahananda were in spate and flowed above danger levels. The river Ghaghra at Gangpur-Siswan on 31st July flowed within 0.5 m of its HFL. The overall flood situation aggravated on 2nd August, 2001 with three major rivers Gandak, Bagmati and Kamla Balan breaching embankments and inundating vast rural as well as urban areas in East Champaran, West Champaran, Gopalganj, Saran, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga and Madhubani districts. The Saran main embankment at Gopalganj on Gandak had breached by about 200 feet at Hira Pator and by 100 feet at Deapur inundating 32 panchayats in an around Gopalganj. About 4.70 lakh causec of water had entered North Bihar from Nepal through the Gandak, due to torrential rains in the catchment area in Gandak in Nepal. This has caused breach in the Champaran embankment near Nagadaha village. The swirling waters of Bagamati breached its left embankment worsening the flood situation in Darbhanga district.
According to the latest assessment report received from the State Government 15 districts mainly Gopalganj, East Chamaparan, West Champaran, Saran, Muzaffarpur, Sitamrhi, Shivahar and Madhubani have been affected. Cropped area affected is 55,000 ha. and value of crops damaged is Rs.10 crore (appr.). Two persons are reported to have lost their lives and 5,000 people have been evacuated from the affected districts. The State Government has initiated large-scale rescue and rehabilitation measures in the flood affected areas. Army is assisting in the State’s effort.
In Uttar Pradesh, due to heavy rainfall in the catchment the rivers Gandak, Ghaghra and Ganga flowed above danger level. The river Gandak at Khadda on 30th and 31st July, 2001 flowed with 0.5 m of its HFL. This year due to excess rainfall in Nepal Territory unregulated water came into Indian Territory which breached at four places an embankment under construction on Mahav drain in Maharajganj district. As per the information received two places out of four have been plugged and work on the remaining sites is in progress. No loss of crops due to release of water from the damaged embankment has been reported by the State Government.
This year the monsoon broke over Assam during 1st week of June, 2001. Due to heavy rainfall in the catchment, the river Brahmaputra , Barak, Katakhal, Dikhow, Dhansiri, Desang, Beki, Jiabharali, Manas and Sankosh flowed above danger level. The river Beki at Road Bridge on 30th July flowed within 0.5 m of its HFL. No flood damages have been reported so far by the State.
In Tripura, four districts have been affected due to floods. The State remained completely cut off from the rest of the country as the Assam – Agartala National Highway No. 44 was blocked following heavy landslides at Patharkandi in the neighbouring Karimganj district of Assam. There were reports of breaches in embankments along Manu, Dhalai and Longai rivers posing threat to Kailasahar, Kamalpur and Dharmangar Sub-division. Information regarding flood damages has not been received so far from the State Revenue Authorities.
The floods in Kerala, which were preceded by landslides around 7th July took a heavy toll of more than hundred human lives. The first instalment of 50% of central share of Calamity Relief Fund (CRF) of Rs. 26.48 crore has already been released as recommended by the Ministry of Agriculture. The Ministry of Finance has also released the second instalment in advance. A Central Team has recently returned from the State after assessing the situation and the allocation to be made from the NCCF to the State will soon been decided.
In West Bengal too, due to heavy rainfall in the catchment, the river Ganga at Farakka since 20th July continues to flow above danger level. However, no flood damages have been reported so far by the State.
Recently flash floods occurred in Binwa Khund in District Kangra in Himachal Pradesh where 12 persons have lost their lives. The total loss during the flood season is estimated to be Rs.23 crore. The State Government is taking steps for restoration of the damaged works.
Chhattisgarh too suffered floods from 9th July, 2001 which affected Dhamtari district and other catchment areas of the Mahanadi system affecting 23 tehsils and resulting in loss of 12 lives.
While primarily the Flood Management is the responsibility of the respective State Governments, the Central Government renders assistance that is technical, catalytical and promotional in nature. The Central Government has taken initiative for cooperation in the field related to water resources development/flood forecasting on bilateral basis with neighbouring countries. Various projects for the development of water resources/flood control are under negotiations with the Government of Nepal. In this regard, the Detailed Project Report of Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project of river Mahakali (Sarda in India) is already under preparation jointly by both the countries. Similarly, the Sapta Kosi and Sun Kosi multipurpose projects are also under active discussions with Nepal.
This matter was discussed during the 3rd meeting of Joint Team of Experts in March 2001 at New Delhi wherein the Project Inception Report and opening of the Joint Project office for preparation of Joint Detailed Project Report was discussed. Exchange of hydrometeorological data of rivers originating from Nepal and flowing to India is already being done to assist flood forecasting works in these rivers. In this connection, a Committee of Flood Forecasting of India and Nepal has also been formed which held its first meeting in April, 2001 in New Delhi. As a follow up to this meeting, a Joint Task Force was constituted which held its meeting in Kathmandu in June 2001 to review the existing Indo-Nepal flood forecasting system and preparation of a comprehensive flood forecasting master plan. Further an Indo-Nepal Standing Committee on Inundation Problems is also functioning since 1980 to look into various inundation problems faced by the two countries in the border areas. This Committee which had held 11 meetings so far is meeting regularly to discuss the problems faced by both the countries and is trying to evolve suitable remedies. The Committee has been successful is sorting out many issues.
Similarly hydrometeorological data of rivers originating from Bhutan is also being transmitted to India for flood forecasting in the country. The progress in this regard is monitored on a regular basis by a Joint Experts Team (JET) of India and Bhutan. Recently a dialogue has also been initiated with China on the need for Hydrological data on both the Brahmaputra and Sutlej rivers.
Since 1958, the Central Water Commission (CWC) under the Ministry of Water Resources have been operating Flood Forecasting network on major interstate rivers so as to give timely warning to flood affected regions in various States on major interstate rivers. This network has grown over the years to 159 stations. The forecasts issued by CWC have been consistent with an accuracy of more than 96% and as a result of which the flood forecasting and warning services have rendered immense benefits to the people in the flood prone areas.
The most practical approach in flood management is to provide a reasonable degree of protection against flood damages at economic cost through a combination of structural and non-structural measures. Out of the 40 mha. flood prone area assessed by Rashtriya Barh Ayog, 32 mha. can be provided with reasonable degree of protection. So far an area of 16.435 mha.(anticipated) has been benefited upon March, 2000 by different means of flood management works.
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SHRI MADHAVRAO SCINDIA (GUNA): Sir, Doda issue has been raised by my colleague, Shri Dasmunsi. We should be given an opportunity to speak on it.… …( व्यवधान)
श्री रघुनाथ झा (गोपालगंज): उपाध्यक्ष महोदय, उत्तर बिहार में जो बाढ़ है…( व्यवधान )
उपाध्यक्ष महोदय : झा जी, आपको चांस मिलेगा।