Lok Sabha Question No. 2050 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-28
Subject: Floods in Bihar
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Rampreet Mandal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI,

## DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. †

ANSWERED ON 28.07.2022

## FLOODS IN BIHAR

## †2050 SHRI RAMPRIT MANDAL

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has taken any cognizance of the flood caused by excessive rainfall in the country particularly in the State of Bihar;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether any long term measure has been taken by the Government in order to avoid huge loss likely to be caused by floods in future and if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether the Member of Parliament of the flood affected areas would also be included in the proposed plan and if so, the details thereof;

(e) whether the flood management organisation of Central Water Commission (CWC) has formulated any scheme for Bihar; and

(f) if so, the details thereof?

## 2050

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI ( SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU )

(a) to  (d) Floods  are  natural  calamity  that  the  country  faces  almost  every  year,  in  varying  degrees  of magnitude.  The  occurrence  of  floods  can  be  attributed  to  various  factors,  including  wide  variations  in rainfall  both  in  time  and  space  with  frequent  departures  from  the  normal  pattern,  inadequate  carrying capacities of rivers, river bank erosion and silting of river beds, landslides, poor natural drainage in flood prone areas, snowmelt and glacial lake out-bursts. Flood management including erosion control falls within the purview of the States. Flood management and anti-erosion schemes are formulated and implemented by concerned State Governments as per their priority. The Union Government supplements the efforts of the States by providing technical guidance and promotional financial assistance for management of floods in critical areas.

Flood protection and flood management measures are broadly classified as under-

- (i) Structural Measures - The structural measures for flood control which bring relief to the flood prone areas by reducing flood flows and thereby reducing the flood levels.
- (ii) Non-Structural Measures- Facilitating timely evacuation of the people and shifting of their movable property to safer grounds by having advance warning of incoming flood through setting up a flood

forecasting system. Discouraging creation of valuable assets/settlement of the people in the areas subject to frequent flooding i.e. enforcing flood plain zoning regulation.

Integrated  flood  management  approach  aims  at  adopting  judicious  mix  of  structural  and  nonstructural measures to provide a reasonable degree of protection against flood damages at economic cost.

To  strengthen  the  structural  measures  of  flood  magement,  Ministry  had  implemented  Flood Management Programme (FMP) during XI & XII Plan for providing Central Assistance to States for works related  to  flood  control,  anti-erosion,  drainage  development,  anti-sea  erosion,  etc.  which  subsequently continued as a component of "Flood Management and Border Areas Programme" (FMBAP) for the period from 2017-18 to 200-21 and further extended up to September 2022 with limited outlay. In the State of Bihar,  47  projects  were  included  for  central  assistance  under  FMP  component  of  ongoing  Flood Management and Border Area Programme (FMBAP) of Ministry of Jal Shakti. The 42 completed projects have given protection to an area of around 28.67 lakh ha and protected a population of about 22.34 million. Central Assistance amounting to the tune of Rs. 924.41 Crore has been released to the State of Bihar under FMP.

For  Non  structural  measures,  Central  Water  Commission  (CWC)  is  the  nodal  Organisation entrusted with the task of flood forecasting & early flood warnings in the country. Presently, CWC issues flood forecasts for 332 forecasting stations (199 river level forecast stations & 133 dam/ barrage inflow forecast stations). These stations cover 20 major river basins in 23 States & 2 Union Territories. CWC has 43 flood forecasting (FF) stations (40 level forecasting stations and 3 inflow forecasting stations) and 121 gauge stations  in  the  state  of  Bihar.   In  order  to  provide  more  lead  time  to  the  local  authorities  to  plan evacuation of people & take other remedial measures, Central Water Commission (CWC) has developed basin  wise flood  forecasting  model  based  on  rainfall-runoff  mathematical  modelling  for  5  days  advance flood forecast advisory at identified flood forecasting and inflow forecasting stations.

The National Water Policy (NWP) of Ministry of Jal Shakti has emphasized flood mitigation through structural & non-structural measures like creation of storage projects with dedicated flood storage, integrated  operation  of  reservoirs  with  sound  decision  support  system,  rehabilitation  of  natural  drainage system,  Integrated  farming  systems  and  non-agricultural  developments   as  the  long  term  solution  to  the devastating  floods  occurring  every  year,  etc.  NWP  highlights  importance  of  flood  forecasting  for  flood preparedness and expansion of flood forecast network extensively across the country and its modernization. Due  consultations with all stakeholders included elected representatives  were carried out during formulation of NWP.

(e)  &  (f) Inclusion  of  flood  management  projects  from  the  various  States  for  central  funding  under FMBAP is decided by an Inter-Ministerial Committee based upon the criticality and priority of project and availability  of  funds.  However,  techno-economic  acceptance  by  Advisory  Committee  and  thereafter, Investment clearance of project from DoWR, RD & GR are the prerequisites for consideration of project for  central  funding.  During  last  five  years  41  flood  control  projects  from  the  State  of  Bihar  have  been accorded techno-economic clearance by the Advisory Committee of DoWR, RD & GR.

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