Lok Sabha Question No. 4068 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-08-10
Subject: Flood Prone Areas
Ministry: WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANAGA REJUVENATION
Asked by: VEENA DEVI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA UN STARRED QUESTION NO. †4068

ANSWERED ON 10 .0 8.201 7

## FLOOD PRONE AREAS

## †4068. SHRIMATI VEENA DEVI

Will the Minister of WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANGA REJUVENATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether certain areas of Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Northern Bihar and Bengal get affected due during the monsoon season every year;
- (b) if so, the reaction of the Government in this regard;
- (c) whether the Government has identified the flood prone areas;
- (d) if so, the names of such areas and the details of the loss of life, property and livestock average every year in these are as; and
- (e) the steps taken/to be taken by the Government in this direction?

## ANSWER

## THE  MINISTER  OF  STATE FOR WATER  RESOURCES,  RIVER  DEVELOPMENT  AND  GANGA REJUVENATION

## (DR. SANJEEV KUMAR BALYAN)

- (a) &(b) Yes, Flooding in these areas is attributed to high rainfall in the catchment, rapid r steep mountainous regions of Nepal & Bhutan, flat river slopes in India, lack of flood storage rivers, change of river course due to silt ation & encroachment of flood plains etc. Most of Uttar Pradesh Bihar is drained by trans - boundary Rivers like Ghaghara, Rapti, Gandak, Kosi & Mahananda from Nepal. Similarly, rivers like Mahananda, Teesta, Torsa, Raidak etc. cause floods in North Bengal .
- (c) The flood affected area compiled from States by the Working Group on Flood Management a Region Specific Issues for XII plan is 49.815 mHa. As per the Working Group report, total floo area in Bihar, UP & West Bengal is about 15.406 mHa.
- (d) CWC  c ompiles  flood  damage  data  provided  by  the  States/UTs  at  national  level.  This  d available for the period 1953 - 2016. From this, average flood damage data for Bihar, Uttar Pradesh & We Bengal is as under -

| Damage due to Floods                   | Bihar        |   Uttar Pradesh |   West Bengal |
|----------------------------------------|--------------|-----------------|---------------|
| Avg. Area Affected (in Mha)            | 4.26         |            1.65 |          0.79 |
| Avg. Population Affected (in Million)  | 29.99        |            6.47 |          4.07 |
| Avg. Damage to Crops (in Mha)          | 2.24         |            0.98 |          0.31 |
| Avg. Damage to Crops (in Rs Crore)     | 768.38       |          134.54 |        343.57 |
| Avg. Damage to Houses (Nos.)           | 1398484      |       224664    |     303715    |
| Avg. Damage to Houses (in Rs Crore)    | 831.45       |           35.12 |        219.04 |
| Avg. Cattle lost (Nos.)                | 10105        |         1433    |      12307    |
| Avg. Human Lives lost (Nos.)           | 1287         |          293    |        187    |
| Avg. Damage to Public Utilities Crore) | (Rs. 1035.16 |          143.72 |        184.42 |

(e) Different measures have been adopted to reduce the flood losses and protect the flood plains. include non - structural and structural measures.

Flood forecasting is the most cost - effective non - structural measure of flood management carried out by CWC on interstate rivers covering 22 States/Union Territories & National Capital Territory o Delhi through a network of 221 forecasting stations.Flood forecasting & Early Warning system bas hydro - meteorological  data  of  rivers  flowing  from  Nepal  to  India  is  in  place.  There  i s  a  bilateral arrangement with Nepal & Bhutan for transmission of hydro - meteorological  data  of  sites  in  Nepal  & Bhutan to India for generation of flood forecast in India.River level flood forecasts are issued in Bihar, 38 sites in UP & 11 sites in West Bengal while inflow forecasts for dams/ barrages are issued for 2 sites in UP & 3 sites in WB and these alerts are shared with disaster managers at local le mitigating measures to save lives.

The management of floods due to these trans - boundary rivers has been a concern. Government of India has been in continuous dialogue with the Government of Nepal for construction of dams on th for  mutual  benefit  of  the  two  countries  which  includes  flood  control.  Broad  outcome  of  the ialogue mechanism are given below:

- i ) Pancheshwar  Development  Authority  (PDA)  has  been  set  up  jointly  by  India  and  Nepal execution, operation and maintenance of the Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project on river Sara draft final DPR of the project has b een prepared by M/s WAPCOS Limited.
- ii ) Survey and investigation including preparation of DPR of Sapta Kosi High Dam Project an Kosi Storage - cum - Diversion scheme proposed in the Sapta Kosi basin in Nepal has been undert jointly by India and Nepal.

The subject of flood management being under the purview of the States, the schemes for f control are formulated and implemented by concerned States as per their priority. The Union Gover supplements  the  efforts  of  the  States  by  providing  technical guidance  and  also  promotional  financial assistance for management of floods in critical areas.

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