A Case Study on Floods in India !

What is a Flood ?

A flood is an overflow of water that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrology and are of significant concern in agriculture, civil engineering and public health.

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 it s usual boundaries, 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. 

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 can develop in just a few minutes and without visible signs of rain. Additionally, floods can be local, impacting a neighborhood or community, or very large, affecting entire river basins. 

    CASE STUDY  OF KERALA

 Kerala is a state on the southwestern Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions. Spread over 38,863 km2 (15,005 sq mi), Kerala is the twenty-third largest Indian state by area. It is bordered by Karnataka to the north and northeast, Tamil Nadu to the east and south, and the Lakshadweep Sea to the west. With 33,387,677 inhabitants as per the 2011 Census, Kerala is the thirteenth-largest Indian state by population. It is divided into 14 districts with the capital being Thiruvananthapuram. Malayalam is the most widely spoken language and is also the official language of the state.

Flood in Kerala

On 16 August 2018, severe floods affected the south Indian state Kerala, due to unusually high rainfall during the monsoon season. It was the worst flood in Kerala in nearly a century. Over 483 people died, and 140 are missing. About a million people were evacuated, mainly from Chengannur,Pandanad,Edanad, Aranmula, Kozhencherry, Ayiroor, Ranni, Pandalam, Kuttanad, Malappuram, Aluva, Chalakudy, Thrissur, Thiruvalla, Eraviperoor, Vallamkulam, North Paravur, Chellanam, Vypin Island and Palakkad. All 14 districts of the state were placed on red alert. According to the Kerala government, one-sixth of the total population of Kerala had been directly affected by the floods and related incidents. The Indian government had declared it a Level 3 Calamity, or "calamity of a severe nature". It is the worst flood in Kerala after the great flood of 99 that took place in 1924.

Thirty-five out of the fifty-four dams within the state were opened, for the first time in history. All five overflow gates of the Idukki Dam were opened at the same time, and for the first time in 26 years 5 gates of the Malampuzha dam of Palakkad were opened. Heavy rains in Wayanad and Idukki have caused severe landslides and have left the hilly districts isolated. The situation was regularly monitored by the National Crisis Management Committee, which also coordinated the rescue and relief operations. 

PRESENT SCENARIO OF FLOOD IN KERALA

In Kerala, it looks like climate-change-induced floods are becoming an annual affair. Following heavy rains over the first week of  August 2019, the state which once boasted consistent rains during the monsoon season is now grappling with devastating floods in the month of August. It was so in 2018, and it is not any different the year 2019 too. It continued to pour till Sunday (11th August,2019) evening, and then in isolated showers with decreasing intensity.

The death toll has gone up to a frightening 92, and 58 others are reported missing — feared trapped under mud and debris — at Kavalappara in Malappuram district and Puthumala in Wayanad district, where massive landslides have wiped out hundreds of houses, places of worship and other buildings. As many as 250,638 people are displaced due to the rains with many living in 1326 relief camps, while alert was sounded in 13 of the state’s 14 districts.

Rivers are overflowing and many low-lying areas have been inundated. In most parts of the state, heavy rains and road blockades are hampering rescue operations; and in many regions in the northern districts of Wayanad, Palakkad, Malappuram and Kannur, vehicles and buildings remain half buried in flood waters.

Like in the year 2018, in the initial days of the southwest monsoon in Kerala, rainfall was scanty, and it remained so till nearly the end of July, raising disturbing questions about the availability of water for domestic and agricultural purposes. There were reports from various regions of the state about shortage of potable water and it being supplied through tanker lorries.

CASE STUDY OF KARNATAKA

Karnataka (Karnāṭaka) is a state in the south western region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as the State of Mysore, it was renamed Karnataka in 1973. The state corresponds to the Carnatic region. The capital and largest city is Bangalore.

Karnataka is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, Goa to the northwest, Maharashtra to the north, Telangana to the northeast, Andhra Pradesh to the east, Tamil Nadu to the southeast, and Kerala to the south. The state covers an area of 191,976 square kilometres (74,122 sq mi), or 5.83 percent of the total geographical area of India. It is the sixth largest Indian state by area. With 61,130,704 inhabitants at the 2011 census, Karnataka is the eighth largest state by population, comprising 30 districts.

Flood in Karnataka

On 1 August 2019, due to heavy rainfall in the Monsoon season, severe flood affected the southern Indian State of Karnataka. As a security measure in the prevailing situation of heavy rains, India Meteorological Department issued Red alert to several regions of coastal and malnad regions of Karnataka state. 

Thousands of people were evacuated to safer places and relief camps. A total of 61 people have been killed and seven lakh have been displaced. As of 14 August 2019, Over 6.97 lakh people were evacuated. Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa had announced a compensation of ₹5 lakh for the family members of those who died in the floods.

Due to the heavy water discharge from the Maharashtra reservoir, the North Karnataka districts of Belagavi, Bijapur, Raichur, Kalburgi, Yadgir were severely affected by the flood discharge.On August 8 2019, Karnataka received nearly five times the rainfall it normally used to have, adding to the severity of the ongoing floods in 12 districts that had killed 20 people by August 9, 2019.

As of 14 August 2019, 61 people have been killed and 14 people missing due to flood-related incidents across 22 districts of the state as per the data released by Karnataka State [Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre] (KSNDMC). 

More than 40,000 houses have been damaged in Karnataka floods, while more than 2,000 villages were affected. North, coastal and Malnad districts were worst affected. Other affected districts include Bagalkot, Bijayapura, Raichur, Yadgiri, Uttara Kannada, Dakshina Kannada, Shivamogga, Kodagu and Chikkamagalur.

Landslides have occurred in many places in Chikkamgaluru, Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada districts due to heavy rains. Connectivity on 136 major roads (National Highway, State Highway and Major district roads) has been disrupted due to floods and landslides. 

CASE STUDY OF MAHARASHTRA

Maharashtra is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is the second-most populous state and third-largest state by area in India. Spread over 307,713 km2 (118,809 sq mi), it is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to the southeast and Chhattisgarh to the east, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh to the north, and the Indian union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli to the north west.It is also the world's second-most populous subnational entity.

Flood in Maharashtra

 The floods in five districts of Western Maharashtra were affected over 2.85 lakh people in 2019. About 2,00,000 people were evacuated and 29 people died in the rain-related incidents. The government announced the flood relief compensation of Rs 15,000 to each affected family in cities and Rs 10,000 in villages. The flood gates of Almatti dam were opened and the NH 4 (Mumbai-Bengaluru National Highway) was closed after landslide stranding about 18,000 vehicles on highway. 70 teams comprising NDRF, Navy, Coast Guard and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel were deployed.

 The death toll in floods in the Pune division of Maharashtra climbed to 56 in August 2019.Out of the five districts that fall under the administrative division, Sangli and Kolhapur were badly affected by floods in the second week of August.Other districts in the division are Solapur, Pune and Satara.With most of the rivers in Kolhapur, Sangli and Satara now flowing below the danger marks, communication to almost all villages in the region has been restored."The death toll in floods in Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara, Solapur and Pune has reached to 56 while two persons are still missing. Most of the deaths have occurred in Kolhapur and Sangli districts, which were worst hit due to floods," said Deepak Mhaisekar, Divisional Commissioner, Pune.As per the figures available so far, 1519 houses were damaged completely in floods while 19,780 partially."The government has so far disbursed Rs 31.84 crore to 63,697 flood affected families.In 12 talukas of Kolhapur district, 1,02,557 families from 375 villages were affected by the floods of which 69,299 was the rural population while 33,258 was urban. A total of 111 temporary shelters are still operational in which 18,198 people from urban areas and 27,436 from rural parts are put at," he said.In Sangli district, 87,939 families from 104 villages in four talukas were directly affected by floods."The district administration is currently operating 22 shelters in which 1,760 people from urban areas and 1,394 from rural areas remained put up," Mhaisekar said.He said a total of 314 medical teams in Kolhapur, 238 in Sangli and 72 in Satara are currently carrying out health check-ups, administering medicines and imparting measures to prevent any further health challenges mainly due to mud, decaying plants and dead animals.

CASE STUDY OF GUJARAT

Gujarat  is a state on the western coast of India with a coastline of 1,600 km (990 mi) – most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula – and a population in excess of 60 million. It is the fifth largest Indian state by area and the ninth largest state by population. 

Flood in Gujarat

 Central and South Gujarat were worst affected due to heavy rains. 26 of 30 sluice gates of Sardar Sarovar dam on the Narmada river were opened to release water. Vadodara city was flooded. 18 teams of NDRF and 11 teams of SDRF were deployed.

Due to heavy rain in July-August 2019, the city of Vadodara and its administrative district in the Indian state of Gujarat were affected by severe flooding. On the 31st July 2019, nearly 50cm of rain fell on Vadodara within 12 hours, with 424mm recorded in one 6 hour period. As a result, the nearby Vishwamitri River rose to 1 metre below the danger line and the Ajwa dam overflowed, flooding the city. The flood caused 8 deaths and the evacuation of more than 6000 people by the NDRF and SDRF. Train services were cancelled owing to water-logging, and the electricity supply was interrupted. On 1st August, Vadodara Airport was closed, GSRTC buses were cancelled and 69 trains passing through Vadodara Junction railway station were either cancelled or rerouted. As water in the Vadodara receded, Crocodiles were seen on Vadodara roads causing harassment to people and Stray dogs. 22 crocodiles were rescued from the residential areas of Vadodara within a week after flood.

CASE STUDY OF ASSAM

Assam is a state in northeast India, situated south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of 78,438 km2 (30,285 sq mi). The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur to the east; Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram and Bangladesh to the south; and West Bengal to the west via the Siliguri Corridor, a 22 kilometres (14 mi) strip of land that connects the state to the rest of India.Its population is 31,169,272.

Flood in Assam

According to data put out by Assam State Disaster Management Authority, till July 18 the death toll has touched 27 and is likely to go up. Over 4,000 villages in 28 districts out of the state's 33 have been affected.

Assam's population is just over 3 crore; of this 53.5 lakh-plus people are under threat. While close to 1,000 houses have been damaged, 88 animals have been washed away. Over 16 lakh animals, including livestock have been affected. Pictures of rhinos trying to reach higher grounds at the Kaziranga National Park surfaced 

Over 2 lakh hectares of crop land have been affected by the flood waters. Infrastructure -- roads, bridges, culverts - and public utilities have also taken a hit.

Floods lead to loss in human lives and the economy takes a big hit. According to Central Water Commission data (1953-2016) on average 26 lakh people are affected every year in Assam; 47 lose lives, 10,961 cattle die, Rs 7 crore worth of houses destroyed and the total damage comes up to Rs 128 crore every year.

Most of Assam falls under a meteorological zone that receives excessive rain during the monsoon season. According to the Brahmaputra Board, a central body under the Ministry of Jal Shakti tasked to monitor and control floods, the region receives rainfall "ranging from 248 cm to 635...Rainfall of more than 40 mm in an hour is frequent and around 70 mm per hour is also not uncommon". There have been occasions when 500 mm of rainfall has been recorded in a day.

The valley through which the Brahmaputra flows is narrow. While the river occupies 6-10 km, there are forest covers on either side. The remaining area is inhabited and farming is conducted in the low-lying areas. Overflowing rivers and flowing rapidly down the valley tend to spill over when it reaches the narrow strips.

The zone's topography also complicates matters. The steep slopes force the rivers to gush down to the plains.

Assam lies in a seismic zone -- in fact most of the Northeast does. Frequent earthquakes and resultant landslides push soil and debris into the rivers. This sedimentation raises river beds.

According to a paper published in the International Journal for Scientific Research and Development, "Brahmaputra water contains more sediments raising river by 3 metres in some places and reducing the water carrying capacity of the river."

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