Lok Sabha Question No. 1214 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-27
Subject: Land Loss due to Erosion
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Abdul Khaleque

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1214

## ANSWERED ON 27.07.2023

## LAND LOSS DUE TO EROSION

## 1214. SHRI ABDUL KHALEQUE

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has conducted any study to ascertain the area of land lost due to erosion across the country during the last twenty years and if so, the details thereof, State-wise particularly in Assam;

(b) whether the Government has any data to indicate the number of persons displaced due to erosion during the same period and if so, the details thereof; and

(c)  whether  the  country  lost  land  due  to  erosion  on  the  Indo-Bangladesh  Border  along  Assam  and  West Bengal and if so, the details thereof and its effect on the international boundary?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU )

(a) Erosion,  movement and deposition of sediment in a river are natural regulating functions of a river. Rivers tend to maintain a balance between the silt load carried and silt load deposited, maintaining a river regime. Soil erosion caused by heavy floods is a matter of concern as it leads to several associated problems like changes in river course, loss of land, etc. 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 also promotional financial assistance for management of floods in  critical  areas.  The  Government  of  India  has  been  making  continuous  efforts  to  assist  the  State Governments  in  effective  flood  management  and  erosion  control.  Morphological  studies  using  remote sensing technique by various IITs and NIIT have been carried out for major rivers including Brahmaputra river. These studies play an important role in knowing the nature of rivers in a comprehensive manner and provide assessment of bank-line movement, erosion & deposition in different reaches, derivation of reachwise  morphological  indices  and  identification  of  critical  reaches.  These  studies  have  been  shared  with concerned State Governments and other stakeholders etc. As per the morphological study of Brahmaputra river  conducted  by  CWC  through  consultancy  from  IIT  Guwahati,  it  has  been  estimated  that  in  the Brahmaputra river total erosion of 252.6 sq. km. and deposition of 118.6 sq. km. occurred between 2003-05 and 2008-11.

(b) & (c) The  State-wise area of land lost due to erosion across the country is not maintained centrally. However, the damages due to heavy rain and floods are compiled by Central Water Commission (CWC) after  receipt  of  confirmation  from  respective  States/UTs.  The  details  available  of  damages  for  the  past twenty years (2002 to 2021) in the States of Assam and West Bengal are given at Annexure.

ANNEXURE

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (c) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1214 TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 27.07.2023 REGARDING 'LAND LOSS DUE TO EROSION'.

## Flood damage during 2002 to 2021 in the State of Assam

| Sl. No.   | Year       | Area affec ted m.ha   | Population affected million   | Damage to Crops   | Damage to Crops   | Damage to Houses   | Damage to Houses   | Cattle lost nos.   | Human lives lost nos.   | Damage to public utilities in Rs.Crore   | Total damages crops,houses& public utilities in Rs.Crore   |
|-----------|------------|-----------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------|-------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|-------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sl. No.   | Year       | Area affec ted m.ha   | Population affected million   | Area m.ha         | Value in Rs.Crore | Nos.               | Value in Rs.Crore  | Cattle lost nos.   | Human lives lost nos.   | Damage to public utilities in Rs.Crore   | Total damages crops,houses& public utilities in Rs.Crore   |
| 1         | 2          | 3                     | 4                             | 5                 | 6                 | 7                  | 8                  | 9                  | 10                      | 11                                       | 12                                                         |
| 1         | 2002       | 1.187                 | 7.551                         | 0.299             | 145.600           | 96705              | 41.187             | 4294               | 65                      | 566.243                                  | 753.030                                                    |
| 2         | 2003       | 0.932                 | 5.652                         | 0.932             | 147.000           | 74638              | 18.692             | 4319               | 52                      | 181.402                                  | 347.094                                                    |
| 3         | 2004       | 2.364                 | 12.637                        | 0.522             | 37.470            | 6631682.190        | 6631682.190        | 118772497          | 118772497               | 17.685                                   | 57.345                                                     |
| 4         | 2005       | 0.222                 | 1.025                         | 9.840             | 23.470            | 10789              | 9.344              | 15                 | 29                      | 0.068                                    | 32.882                                                     |
| 5         | 2006       | 0.058                 | 0.555                         | 0.010             | 1.110             | 7346               | 1.630              | 28                 | 7                       | 0.240                                    | 2.980                                                      |
| 6         | 2007       | 1.504                 | 10.867                        | 0.675             | -                 | 15846              | -                  | -                  | 134                     | -                                        | -                                                          |
| 7         | 2008 0.416 | 2008 0.416            | 2.906                         | 0.314 3.290       | 0.314 3.290       | 56550              | 0.029              | 8002               | 40                      | 0.233                                    | 3.552                                                      |
| 8         | 2009       | -                     | -                             | -                 | -                 | -                  | -                  | -                  | -                       | -                                        | -                                                          |
| 9         | 2010       | -                     | 2.546                         | 1.470             | 36.788            | 54502              | 10.996             | 3754               | 17                      | 19.783                                   | 67.567                                                     |
| 10        | 2011       | -                     | -                             | -                 | -                 | -                  | -                  | -                  | -                       | -                                        | -                                                          |
| 11        | 2012       | 0.935                 | 2.914                         | 0.328             | -                 | -                  | -                  | 6249               | 144                     | 3200.310                                 | 3200.310                                                   |
| 12        | 2013       | -                     | 0.01                          | -                 | -                 | -                  | -                  | -                  | -                       | 13.84                                    | 13.84                                                      |
| 13        | 2014       | -                     | -                             | -                 | -                 | -                  | -                  | -                  | -                       | 2.39                                     | 2.39                                                       |
| 14        | 2015       | -                     | 0.02                          | -                 | -                 | 16                 | -                  | -                  | -                       | 3.32                                     | 3.32                                                       |
| 15        | 2016       | -                     | -                             | -                 | -                 | -                  | -                  | -                  | 36                      | 17.89                                    | 17.89                                                      |
| 16        | 2017       | 0.28                  | 5.60                          | 0.28              | 178.69            | 11107090.94        | 11107090.94        | 2763               | 160                     | 3895.18                                  | 4164.81                                                    |
| 17        | 2018 0.04  |                       | 1.32                          | 0.03              | 23.49             | 10273784.01        | 10273784.01        | 122                | 53                      | 2373.48                                  | 2480.98                                                    |
| 18        | 2019       | 0.23                  | 7.36                          | 0.23              | 167.47            | 117831151.40       | 117831151.40       | 281                | 103                     | 2803.11                                  | 3121.98                                                    |
| 19        | 2020 0.19  |                       | 5.79                          | 0.19              | 145.87            | 8122               | 93.36              | 702                | 150                     | 2200.50                                  | 2439.73                                                    |
| 20        | 2021       | 0.02                  | 0.90                          | 0.02              | 8.56              | 3387               | 12.73              | -                  | 13                      | 1051.14                                  | 1072.43                                                    |

Flood damage during 2002 to 2021 in the State of West Bengal

| Sl. No.   | Year      | Area affected m.ha   | affected million   | Population Damage to Crops   | Population Damage to Crops   | Damage to Houses               | Damage to Houses               | Cattle lost nos.               | Human lives lost nos.          | Damage to public utilities in Rs.Crore   | Total damages crops,houses& public utilities in Rs.Crore   |
|-----------|-----------|----------------------|--------------------|------------------------------|------------------------------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sl. No.   | Year      | Area affected m.ha   | affected million   | Area m.ha                    | Value in Rs. Crore           | Nos.                           | Value in Rs. Crore             | Cattle lost nos.               | Human lives lost nos.          | Damage to public utilities in Rs.Crore   | Total damages crops,houses& public utilities in Rs.Crore   |
| 1         | 2         | 3                    | 4                  | 5                            | 6                            | 7                              | 8                              | 9                              | 10                             | 11                                       | 12                                                         |
| 1         | 2002 2.02 | 2002 2.02            | 1.70               | 0.07                         | 165.07                       | 19244414.04                    |                                | 12685                          | 238                            | 22.80                                    | 201.91                                                     |
| 2         | 2003      | -                    | 0.15               | 0.00                         | 13.15                        | 5911                           | 1.18                           | 22                             | 17                             | 3.64                                     | 17.97                                                      |
| 3         | 2004      | -                    | 0.18               | 0.00                         | 14.22                        | 1812                           | 73.65                          | 34                             | 5                              | 2.49                                     | 90.36                                                      |
| 4         | 2005 1.38 | 2005 1.38            | 8.11               | 1.38                         | 400.00                       | 52878                          | 106.15                         | 49174 25                       | 49174 25                       | 511.74                                   | 1017.89                                                    |
| 5         | 2006 0.16 | 2006 0.16            | 8.32               | 0.16                         | 31.72                        | 43000031.59                    |                                | 213                            | 90                             | 0.97                                     | 64.28                                                      |
| 6         | 2007 2.49 | 2007 2.49            | 11.82              | 2.49                         | 78.38                        | 99694879.47                    |                                | 4451                           | 348                            | 1.88                                     | 159.72                                                     |
| 7         | 2008 0.13 | 2008 0.13            | 4.04               | 0.13                         | 68.14                        | 440282262.60                   |                                | 3924                           | 288                            | 52.51                                    | 383.25                                                     |
| 8         | 2009 0.12 | 2009 0.12            | 2.61               | 0.12                         | 1.79                         | 2454993.39                     |                                | 68                             | 127                            | 2.65                                     | 7.84                                                       |
| 9         | 2010 0.00 | 2010 0.00            | 0.24               | 0.00                         | 0.29                         | 26509                          | 1.21                           | 7                              | 112                            | 0.74                                     | 2.24                                                       |
| 10        | 2011 1.23 | 2011 1.23            | 5.68               | 1.23                         | 575.30                       | 542519281.56                   |                                | 293                            | 186                            | 0.60                                     | 857.46                                                     |
| 11        | 2012 -    | 2012 -               | 0.53               | 0.01                         | 20.62                        | 49132                          | 33.02                          | 2200                           | 29                             | 632.95                                   | 686.58                                                     |
| 12        | 2013 0.18 | 2013 0.18            | 3.11               | 0.18                         | 533.95                       | 233336178.97                   |                                | 28311                          | 41                             | 13.58                                    | 726.50                                                     |
| 13        | 2014 0.05 | 2014 0.05            | 0.45               | 0.05                         | 6.13                         | 33621                          | 17.28                          | 145                            | 169                            | 2.67                                     | 26.07                                                      |
| 14        | 2015 1.30 | 2015 1.30            | 10.84              | 1.30                         |                              | 11433.688302457895.6322774 338 | 11433.688302457895.6322774 338 | 11433.688302457895.6322774 338 | 11433.688302457895.6322774 338 | 6023.96                                  | 25353.27                                                   |
| 15        | 2016 -    | 2016 -               | -                  | -                            | -                            | -                              | -                              | -                              | -                              | -                                        | -                                                          |
| 16        | 2017 1.03 | 2017 1.03            | 8.72               | 1.03                         | 6914.50                      | 8269829158.282857              | 8269829158.282857              | 8269829158.282857              | 217                            | 1655.16                                  | 17727.94                                                   |
| 17        | 2018 0.04 | 2018 0.04            | 0.16               | 0.01                         | 22.41                        | 34755                          | 13.27                          | 17                             | 31                             | 18.33                                    | 54.01                                                      |
| 18        | 2019 0.29 | 2019 0.29            | 0.44               | 0.10                         | 1166.07                      | 57248                          | 46.63                          | 27                             | 71                             | 57.13                                    | 1269.83                                                    |
| 19        | 2020      | -                    | 1.03               | -                            | -                            | 11568                          | -                              | 382                            | 227                            | -                                        | 0.00                                                       |
| 20        | 2021      | 1.01                 | 4.00               | 0.97                         | 6355.76                      |                                | 2362013383.23136               |                                | 163                            | 6340.46                                  | 16079.45                                                   |

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