Lok Sabha Question No. 3680 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-10
Subject: Floods in River Ganga
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Mukesh Rajput

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3680

## ANSWERED ON 10.08.2023

## FLOODS IN RIVER GANGA

## † 3680. SHRI MUKESH RAJPUT

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has formulated any action plan to prevent recurrent floods in the rivers of the country every year;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government proposes to construct embankments on the banks of Ganga river to prevent the annual widespread loss of crops of farmers living along the course of Ganga river;

(d) if so, the reasons for not constructing embankments on Farrukhabad course of Ganga river in Uttar Pradesh as on date;

(e) whether there is any proposal to construct embankment under Namami Gange Programme; and

(f) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU )

(a) & (b) Flood  management  including  erosion  control  falls  within  the  purview  of  the  States.  Flood management and anti-erosion projects are formulated and implemented by concerned State Governments from own resources 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.  Integrated  flood  approach  aims  at  adopting  judicious  mix of structural and non-structural measures to provide a reasonable degree of protection against flood damages at economic cost.

To  strengthen  the  structural  measures  of  flood  management,  Ministry  had  implemented  Flood Management  Programme  (FMP)  during  XI  &  XII  Plan  for  providing  Central  Assistance  to  States  for works  related  to  flood  management,  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 2000-21 and further extended up to September 2022 with limited outlay. Central  Assistance  amounting  to  Rs.  7012.89  crores  has  been  released  to  State  Government/Union Territories under FMP component of this Programme since inception till March, 2023.

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 338 forecasting stations (200 river level forecast stations & 138 dam/ barrage inflow forecast stations). These stations cover 20 major river basins in 23 States & 2 Union Territories. 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 rainfallrunoff mathematical modelling for 5 days advance flood forecast advisory at its forecasting stations.

Ganga Flood Control Commission (GFCC) and Brahamputra Board  under this Ministry have been mandated to prepare and periodically update comprehensive master plans for flood management in the Ganga basin and Brahamputra & Barak basins respectively. These comprehensive master plans are shared with  the  concerned  States  for  preparing  specific  schemes  for  implementation  as  per  recommendations given therein.

In  order  to  formulate  the  strategy  for  flood  management  works  in  the  entire  country  and  river management activities and works in the border areas,  a Committee was constituted by NITI Aayog under the chairmanship of Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog and officials from various Departments/ Ministries of Government of India, Experts from the field and Principal Secretaries from States of Jammu & Kashmir, Uttar  Pradesh,  Bihar,  West  Bengal,  Punjab,  Assam,  Arunachal  Pradesh,  Tripura,  Madhya  Pradesh  and Kerala were included as the members of this Committee.

The major recommendations of the above Committee in its Report of January, 2021 are-

-  Continuous efforts to be made towards modernization in collection of hydro-meteorological data, flood forecast formulation and forecast dissemination. Further simplified data dissemination policy for use of data by the States particularly regarding trans-boundary rivers to be developed.
-  Focus on scientific research in development of Model based system to forecast flash flood with sufficient lead time will provide a much-needed relief from menace of flash floods.
-  Rule curve/ level  for  all  reservoirs  should  be  prepared  &  updated  accounting  change  in  rainfall trend and changing demand over the years due to rapid increase of population, urbanisation and industrialisation. Rule curves of major reservoirs, where flood cushion is not in-built, need to be reviewed to have some dynamic flood cushion for major part of the flood season.
-  The long-term structural solution to floods lies in construction of large storage reservoirs which moderate flood peaks by adopting appropriate reservoir operation schedule.
-  To get benefit of flood control, it is essential that tendencies like encroachment of natural detention basins are curbed and these basins are restored to their natural state as a measure for flood control.
-  The projects for interlinking of rivers for diversion of flood water to water scarce areas may be taken up in a time bound manner.
-  The  reclamation  of  the  existing  wetlands/  natural  depressions  should  be  prohibited  by  state governments and they should formulate an action plan for using them for flood moderation.

The above recommendations of NITI Aayog  Committee have accordingly been taken into consideration  while  preparing  the  proposal  of  continuation  of  FMBAP  for  the  period  2021-26  and formulation of Policies at central level.

(c) to (f) The projects for flood management including construction of embankment are undertaken by the State Governments. Union Government currently has no plans to construct flood embankments either under Namami Gange Programme or any other scheme.