Journal of Global Resources
Volume 4 (02)
July 2018
ISSN: 2395-3160 (Print), 2455-2445 (Online)

Page 125-130

16SPATIO-TEMPORAL STUDY OF FLOODS AND THEIR IMPACT ON SOCIO-ECONOMIC
LIFE: A CASE STUDY OF KOSI-MAHANANDA DOAB
Shams Perwaiz1, Sandesh Yadav1, Tariq Ahmad Ganaie1 and Haseena Hashia2
1
Research Scholars, 2Professor
Department of Geography, Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi, India
Email: sandesh_official@yahoo.in
Abstract: Natural disasters, in present scenario, are responsible for loss of life and property.
These natural disasters can be identified in the form of earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslides,droughts, floods etc. and are limited to regions depending on the factors responsible for theirorigin. Flood, one of the major natural disaster, is responsible for the loss of life, loss of property,
loss of infrastructure, loss of agriculture, soil erosion and is responsible for infections, epidemics
and ‘Water-Born Diseases’. In India, Kosi is known as the “Sorrow of Bihar” because of thehighly frequent floods and the damage caused by these floods. Floods are recurrent phenomena
in India from times immemorial. After Bangladesh, India is the most flood prone country. Flood isa global phenomenon and severe floods frequently occur almost every year in various isolating
regions of the world causing immense loss of life, large scale damage to property and untold
miseries to millions of people.
Key words: Floods, Flood Prone Region, Socio-Economic Life, Water Born Diseases.
Introduction
Kosi-Mahananda Doab is the most flood-prone region of Bihar, about 16.29 percent of thepopulation living in the region under the recurring threat of flood devastation. Floods in Bihar area recurring disaster which on an annual basis destroys thousands of human lives apart fromlivestock and assets worth millions. The 2013 Flood in Bihar affected more than 5.9 million
people in 3,768 villages and in 20 districts of the state. North Bihar plain is intensively hit bysevere floods. River Kosi which is known as the “Sorrow of Bihar” is mainly responsible forbringing severe floods in the study region due to its changing course. Nearly 27 percent of flood
damages in India are a part of the Bihar State. Annual destruction of property and crops by theRiver Kosi is estimated to the tune of Rs.100 million.
Objectives
The objectives of the present research study are as follows:• To analyse the Spatio-Temporal extent of floods in Kosi-Mahanada Doab region.
• To analyse the impact of floods on Socio-Economic life of people in Kosi-Mahanada
Doab.
Methodology
The present research study is based on the secondary data collected from the following
agencies:• Flood Management Information System, Government of Bihar, Bihar.
• Water Resources Department, Government of Bihar, Bihar.
• Disaster Management, Government of Bihar, Bihar.
• Census of India, Government of India, India.
To find out the variations in their demographics and socio-economic conditions, Gazetteers ofIndia, Magazines, Professional Journals, Statistical Digests and climate data from Indian
Metrological Department, New Delhi has been consulted.

125Study Area
Nearly 19 districts were in the grip of severe floods during 2007 but the worst flood affecteddistricts were Madhepura, Araria, Purnea Katihar, Saharsa and Supaul while Kishanganj is partly
affected. This plain is frequently hit by the severe floods almost every year and the region aretermed as the Super Floods Region of Bihar. Such destructions of nature have far adverse
impacts not only on existing environment, human and livestock population but also destabilize
the state economy.
Figure 01: Location Map of Kosi-Mahananda Doab, Bihar

Spatio-Temporal Extent of Floods of Kosi-Mahananda DoabThe study region is the most flood prone region in the entire country which accounts for about 11
percent of the total flood affected area of India. Out of 38 districts of Bihar, 7 districts have been
identified as most flood affected districts. Almost all districts including their concerned villages
were affected and influenced. During the period of last 29 years or so (1979-2007), the study
area has confronted with several disastrous and furious floods with different level of damages.
The least affected area was recorded merely 0.76 lakh hectare during 1992 against 27 lakh
hectare highest affected area during 2004.The similar trends have also been observed in case of
cropped area affected by floods. In the same year (1992) only 0.25 lakh hectare cropped area
was hit by flood disaster, the lowest figures during the given time which has further touched thehighest figure that is about 16.42 lakh hectare cropped areas in 2007. The study region has
experienced flood disasters of different extent and magnitude. But the recent fierce floods of2007 proved very disastrous and distinctive in the state of Bihar in the north Bihar plain’s
economy as well as its agricultural crops. It has been estimated that about Rs. 3,70,981.07 lakhproperty including crops, houses & public property was hit and damaged by these floods. About126

12.52 lakh ha. Cropped area was damaged of the value of Rs. 130508.22. Ultimately, theexisting situation was very alarming and critical. Out of 38 district of Bihar 19 district of north
Bihar plain have been identified flood prone during the flood of 2007. About 883 villages of study
area were in the grip of flood fury and the worst affected districts were Katihar (319 villages),Saharsa (184 villages), Purnea (107 villages), Supaul (194 villages), Madhepura (46 villages),
Araria (25 villages), and Kishanganj (8 villages). The similar trends have also been observed incase of damaged cropped area by these districts.

••
•
•
•

Analysis of Spatio-Temporal Changes
A scrutiny of the drainage system indicated the following:
Almost all the streams are in a state of perpetual in-equilibrium, shifting widely within theirmeander belts and, as in the case of Bagmati River abandoning their entire course by avulsions.
Kosi has shifted markedly to the west, in keeping with the general lateral migration of thestreams.
Although meandering, many streams flow through linear aligned courses.
Sharp knee-bends of several adjacent streams have definite orientation and alignments, themajor directions being NNE-SSW to N-S, WNW-ESE to E-W, NW- SE, and NE-SW.
These alignments converge with the major alignments, and derangement of drainage alongcertain linear stretches is also noted.
Response of each region to sedimentological adjustments and neo-tectonics is different
in magnitude. The study area is an established sedimentation sink. The upstream areas of all
the tributaries lie in metamorphic rock areas that are criss-crossed by faults and thrusts.
Aggradation has been the result of increased alluvial deposits. The high sediment load during
monsoons and frequent spillage lead to changes in channel configurations, which are further
influenced by changes in local slope conditions. Further, the lineament map revealed that theentire segment between Ganga and Himalayan Foothills has two sets of faults having different
down-throw blocks one almost parallel to the Himalayas and the other oblique. The obliquefaults also have the highest potential for earthquakes. The northward progress of the Indian
plate has been geologically proved to generate the greatest horizontal compressive stress in theRecent earthquakes in 1934 and 1988 indicate that these faults are active andresponsible for Neo-tectonism in the study area. The western part of the study area isgeologically stated to be uplifting in the upstream area, with the result that the general slope istilting in Southeast direction. This also could have contributed to the draining out of the tectonic
sags and the surface depressions of the western part of the study area towards east andsoutheast. Further, movement along the Malda-Saharsa Ridge is stated to be responsible for thewestward shift of the Kosi. This is crucial towards explaining the gradual sedimentation andshrinkages of the numerous water bodies in the interfluves west of the Kosi Fan.
Socio-Economic Impact of Floods on Lives of People of Kosi-Mahananda DoabThe socio-economic impact of floods in the Kosi-Mahananda Doab can be investigated under
the following heads:• Area Affected.
• Population Affected.
• Cropped Area Affected.
• Loss of Property.
Impact on Area
The statistical figures (Table 1) of the period (1979-2007) reveal that there are many ups anddowns about area prone to flood hazards in North Bihar Plain. The area affected by floods was
8.06 lakh hectares in 1979 against 1.81 lakh hectares in 2006 with a peak of 47.50 lakh hectares
during 1987 and an average of 13.76 lakh hectares affected annually during the period of 29years viz. 1979-2007. Surprising, the total area affected has varied only between 17.86 lakh
hectares in 1980 to about 27 lakh hectares on average during the last few years; the only
exceptional was 1978 when the total area affected exceeded 47 lakh hectares.
127

Table 01: Socio-Economic Aspects and Flood Damages in Bihar#ItemUnit

12345678910

Area Affected
Population Affected
Human Lives Lost
Cattle Lives Lost
Cropped Area Affected
Value of Damage to Crops
House Damages
Value of Damage to Houses
Value of Damage to Public Utilities
Value of Damage to Houses,
Crops and Public Utilities

Lakh ha.
LakhNumbers
Numbers
Lakh ha.
Rs. Mill.
Mill.
Rs. Mill.
Rs. Mill.
Rs. Mill.

Average
FloodDamage
13.76
77.23
235.24741.93
7.03
1833.310.22
1131.091010.06
3869.97

Max. Damage
YearDamage
During 2007

47.50 (1987)
286.62 (1987)
1399 (1987)
5302 (1987)
25.70 (1987)
13320.40 (2007)
1.70 (1987)
9281.59 (2007)
15807.25(2007)
38409.24(2007)

N/A
244.46
948
988
16.42
13320.40
0.69
9281.59
15807.25
38409.24

Source: Disaster Management Department (2007), Government of Bihar, Bihar.

Impact on Population (Both Human and Livestock)
Floods affects rural life as it results in great loss of human lives and livestock population. Rural
population during flood suffers the problem of food, shelter and clothing. The conditions areworsened by the loss of livestock population as livestock serves as means of transport andcarriages in rural life. The average affected population during the designated time has beenrecorded has been recorded 77.23 lakh million, with maximum 286.62 lakh million in 1987. The
tentative affected population according to the latest figures of 2007 was registered 244.46 lakh
relatively very high than the average. But all of them, the worst strike is the precious andpriceless lives of hundred lost in such vagaries of nature. Hence, the concept of casualty ofhuman-being is totally governed by the degree and extent of hazards magnitude in the floodprone areas. The average loss of human lives was more than 235, with highest 1399 in 1987
alone. The cattle loss was relatively higher in comparison to human loss in the same duration.
The average cattle loss was relatively higher in comparison to human loss during the sameperiod. The average cattle loss was noticed to be 741 whereas the worst-cattle strike year was
1987 in which nearly 5302 cattle lost their lives. Moreover, occasionally hundreds of livestock
fled away and as many as died in the wake of fodder resources in the flood-prone areas. On anaverage, the natural disasters take a tool of over 235 human lives and damages 0.22 million
houses annually.
Table 02: Flood Damages in Kosi-Mahananda Doab, 1979-2007
Population

Block

Affected(Lakh)

Panchayat Village

Katihar

1686319

Saharsa

668

Supoul

635

Purnea4

Madhepura

Number ofLine Lost

Damage to Crops

Damage to House

AreaValue(Lakh Ha) (Rs. Lakh)

Number Value(Rs. Lakh)

Value of
PublicProperty
Damage(Rs. Lakh)

Value ofDamaged
Crop,
House andPublicProperty(Rs L.)

CattleNumber Of Affected

HumanDistrict

5.40

36

10.40

2768.852299

216.6233.65

3019.12

184

3.65

25

-

0.25

94

2.54

1-

0.25

861.4

16383

935.25140.38

1937.03574.84

15000

300

17.75

27

107

1.70

-

--

892.59

-

4783

--

324

46

0.70

19-

0.05

-

116

2100

32.00

10.00

158

Araria

1

1225

0.04

-

---

12-

--

Kishanganj

757

340

6.10

37-

1.51

900

24321

2445.00

1000.00

4345

Bihar State

251

3365

11850

244.46

948

988

16.42

1335203.47 690237

92815.96

158072.46

384092.39

Source: Disaster Management Department (2007), Government of Bihar, Bihar

Impact on Cropped Areas
Every year thousand hectare of land including fertile and productive cropped land is severely
damaged both in the hilly areas as well as in the plain areas of the study area. As a result, hugeloss of nutrients and other supporting elements required for genetic growth of crops and plant.
The total cropped area affected annually is about 7.03 lakh hectares and was as high as 25.70
lakh hectares in 1987, the worst year in the past 29 years. The agricultural land dominated by128

Kharif cropped area is probably the first victim of floods in the vast plain areas of KosiMahananda Doab. Hence, the flood hazards have a great impact on the rural agriculture system
which is the base of local economy; consequently, thousand hectares of crop land either
converted into barren land or attained the status of degradation. In case of crops, they are badly
strike and damaged and ultimately costing Rs. 15,807 million in the year 2007 (Table 2 & Figure2). The total loss because of flood damage to crops, houses, and public utilities was estimatedaround Rs. 3,869 million and highest of Rs. 38,409 million was recorded in 2007, the worst year
in the past 29 years in the country (Table 2 & Figure 2). Total damage caused by floods isestimated to the tune of Rs. 38409 million during 2007 at an average of Rs. 3869 million
between 1979 and 2007.
Precisely, the flood disasters have the following impacts on the various anthropogenicactivities including two major sectors viz. agriculture and socio-economic conditions of society.
• Every year millions of people become homeless, rendered for shelter for many days andmost of the cases they are forcing to stay under the open sky.
• Thousands to millions of houses and settlements have been badly damaged and large
number of them collapsed.
• Similarly, thousands to millions of hectares of agricultural land come under deep flood waterand not in the condition for further cultivation.
• Millions of tons of fertile top soil have been eroded by several major rivers and their
tributaries of the country and ultimately deposited in the seas/oceans.
• Hundreds of people fled away in the flood water and equally numbers have been died either
due to lack of food availability or epidemics.
• Thousands of hectares land has been converted in to waste land/barren land and resultantly
problems of salinity and alkalinity including water logging originate.
• Due to standing of large quantity of flood water at certain places for long time, various typesof water borne diseases and ground water table suddenly rose up.
• Thousands of livestock either fled away in flood water or died in wake of fodder shortage(Table 2.10).
• Due to over flow of flood water in various rivers, tributaries, canal and drains there always
remained the threat of breaches and seepage at several vulnerable points.
Figure 02: Impact on Population, Kosi-Mahananada Doab, Bihar

Impact on Population (Human & Livestock)
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007

0

Human Lives LostCattle DiedArea under Crops Damaged (Hectares)

Conclusion
To achieve sustainable development, the model Flood Plain Zoning Bill should be introduced to
all the Indian states including the state of Bihar. Although, the bill was come in to force in 1975
but only Manipur is state which have enacted legislation based on model bill, keeping in mind
the relevance and importance, the adoption of the bill should be made necessary so that fruitfulresults may come forward in the affected region by human settlement in the flood plain of a river.
To achieve the same goal, massive afforestation programmes should be launched along the129

river, canals and drains to strengthen their embankments. At local levels, drainage systemshould make wider, deepen and strengthen generally in those areas which are frequently floodprone. On large scale drive “clean up” should also be started in all the vulnerable rivers and their
tributaries including canals in the presence of expert engineers right before the occurrence ofrainy season so that deposited silts, sand and debris be removed so that is may be helpful toincrease the carrying capacity of rivers and canals.
Moreover, another but most suitable and useful method for mitigation of floods in theflood plain is zoning. It is considered the most effective and reliable method for flood prevention
but before identification for flood plain zoning, there is an urgent need for the better
understanding of behaviour of river, that can help to prevent occurrence of floods. So, flood –prone areas should be identified and mapped. Aerial survey should be made specially to assess
loss of agricultural crops, vegetation cover and property to the exact flow of flood water. During
critical flood hours, along the sides of river and canals strict vigil by army/police personals
should be taken to face any eventuality and to prevent local population. Apart from all thesestarted efforts and techniques described in the strategy, the other one more significant andimportant method, the other one more significant and important method is the warning system
which is now easily possible and easier with the help of satellites and INSATS. By adopting all
the stated methods, techniques including strategies, it may be possible to achieve thesustainable development and can save the millions and avoid the huge burden of national
economy spend on flood measures. Moreover, it will also be helpful to maintain the ecologicalbalance of the affected areas.
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