Lok Sabha Question No. 833 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-04
Subject: Impact of Repeated Flood Disasters in Assam
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Shri Sudama Prasad

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 833

ANSWERED ON 04.12.2025

## IMPACT OF REPEATED FLOOD DISASTERS IN ASSAM

## 833.  SHRI SUDAMA PRASAD:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has taken note of the repeated flood disasters in Assam impacting over 2.45 million people and breaching over five hundred embankments since 2011 and the factors such as brittle embankments, encroachments, deforestation and poor drainage contributing to these crisis and if so, the details thereof;

(b)  the  Government's  assessment  of  similar  threats  in  other  flood-prone  States  such  as  Bihar,  Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal and the number of embankment failures and breaches recorded in the current monsoon;

(c)  the  short-term  and  long-term  flood  mitigation  plan  of  the  Government  including  measures  for watershed management, wetland restoration and modern early-warning systems;

(d)  whether  a  national  basin-level  Flood  Management  Authority  is  being  considered  to  replace  ad-hoc embankment policies and if so, the details thereof; and

(e) the timelines set and the funds allocated to strengthen natural drainage, protect wetlands and ensure sustainable river flow interventions across vulnerable regions?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY )

(a) to (b) Assam is affected by floods every year in varying degrees. The problem is compounded  due to embankment breaches, encroachments, deforestation and poor drainage. Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal also face the similar problems in varying degrees.

As per the report of Central Water Commission on 'Assessment of Area Affected due to Floods in India (2024)' based on the satellite images (1986-2022), the aggregated extent of flood affected areas in the state of Assam, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal are 2.477 Million Hectare (Mha), 2.914 Mha, 5.174 Mha and 1.840 Mha respectively.

Flood  management,  including  erosion  control  falls  within  the  purview  of  the  States  and  the  data regarding  number  of  embankment  failures  and  breaches  is  not  maintained  centrally. Government  of Assam has informed that since 2011, a total of 421 nos. of breach have been recorded in different districts all over Assam. During monsoon season 2019 to 2024, a total of 126 no. of breaches have occurred which

have  been  closed  immediately. Government  of  Uttar  Pradesh  has  informed  that  there  is  no  breach  of embankment in current monsoon.

(c) to (e) 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. 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 management, Ministry had implemented during XI & XII  Plan  Flood  Management  Programme  (FMP)  for  providing  Central  Assistance  to  States  for  works related  to  river  management,  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  2017-21  and  further  extended  during  2021-2026  with  limited  outlay.  Total Central assistance amounting to Rs 7260.50Cr. has been released under FMP component to various states up to March 2025.

As a non-structural measure of flood management, Central Water Commission (CWC) issues shortrange flood forecasts with a lead time up to 24 hrs to concerned State Governments at identified locations. CWC also issues inflow forecasts to identified reservoirs for proper reservoir regulation. Presently, flood forecasts are issued by CWC at 350 stations (150 Inflow Forecast Stations + 200 Level Forecast Stations) as  per  Standard  Operating  Procedure.  The  network  has  been  established  in  consultation  with  State Govt./Project authorities. These forecasts are disseminated through a dedicated website,  namely https://ffs.india-water.gov.in. In order to provide more lead time to the local authorities to plan evacuation of people & take other remedial measures, CWC has developed basin wise flood forecasting model based on  rainfall-runoff  mathematical  modelling  for  7-days  advance  flood  forecast  advisory  for  all  the forecasting stations. Its dissemination is through the dedicated website, namely  https://aff.indiawater.gov.in.  CWC  flood  forecasting  service  are  also  integrated  with  integrated  alert  dissemination platform Common Alert Protocol (CAP) issued to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) of the respective States/UTs.

Flood  Plain  Zoning  including  watershed  management  and  wetland  restoration  area  is  effective method of flood moderation with the potential of floodwater storage and crucial ecosystem restoration. Flood plain zones envisage delineating the areas as per the  return period of flooding including classification of land for different uses intended to safeguard the health, safety and property of the general public.  In  order  to  enable  States  to  undertake  scientific  assessment  of  flood  plains  and  its  zoning,  a technical  guideline  on  Flood  Plain  Zoning  has  been  finalised  by  Ministry  and  circulated  to  States  for implementation.

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