Lok Sabha Question No. 91 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-02-24
Subject: Flash Floods
Ministry: EARTH SCIENCES
Asked by: ANURAG SINGH THAKUR

## MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 91

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2016

## FLASH FLOODS

## 91.     SHRI ANURAG SINGH THAKUR:

Will the Minister of EARTH SCIENCES be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of technology advancements made by the Government to tackle the issue of flash floods;
- (b) the details of ongoing projects and their expected completion time;
- (c) whether there is collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority to tackle the issue, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (d) whether there is any plan to set up research facilities or laboratories regarding the same in the State of Himachal Pradesh and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES

(SHRI Y. S. CHOWDARY)

- (a-b)   At  present,  there  is  no  such  technology  to  forecast  flash  floods  in the Country.

However,  consequences  of  heavy  rainfall  events  leading  to  land sliding and floods over different river basins of the country are dealt differently. River basin floods are dealt by the  Central  Water Commission (CWC). Flood Meteorological Offices (FMOs) operated by the Earth System Science Organization-India Meteorological Department (ESSO-IMD) provide meteorological support to the CWC for  issuing  flood  warnings  in  respect  of  the  43  rivers  of  India covering 137 sub-basins. CWC issues flood forecasts 6 h to 30 h in advance for 176 stations using Quantitative Precipitation Forecasts (QPF) received from FMOs of ESSO-IMD and in-situ hydrometeorological data. As on today, no warning system exists for land sliding however, land sliding prone vulnerable zones are mapped so as  to  alert  respective  local  governments  to  put  such  areas  under watch  in  association  with  heavy  rainfall  warnings  as  and  when issued for such zones.

ESSO-IMD operates a network of Weather Radars, which is helpful in issuing  current  weather  forecast/  Nowcasts  of  severe  weather, heavy rainfall and Cyclone monitoring. This service activity currently covers 156 urban centres under which nowcast of severe weather (Thunderstorms; heavy rainfall from lows/depressions over the land) in  3-6h  range  is  issued.  Origin,  development/movement  of  severe weather phenomena are regularly monitored through Doppler Weather  Radars  (DWRs)  and  with  all  available  other  observing systems (Automatic Weather Station AWSs; Automatic Rain Gauge ARGs; Automatic Weather Observing Systems AWOS; satellite based monitoring systems).

In addition, heavy rainfall warnings with a lead time of 3-5 days and city  forecast  for  324  locations  for  next  7  days  is  also  issued  by ESSO-IMD.  ESSO-IMD also provides sector-wise weather forecast for seven days and warning for three days in Western Himalayan Region (Jammu  &  Kashmir,  Himachal  Pradesh  and  Uttarakhand)  twice  a daily for strategic use of Indian Army.

- (c) As a part of on-going activity, back-end research support to improve operational services are provided by ESSO-Indian Institute of Tropical  Meteorology  (IITM),  Pune  and  ESSO-National  Centre  of Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) with new models and product generating tools. ESSO-IMD and Indian National Centre for Ocean  Information Services (ESSO-INCOIS), Hyderabad have a standard  operating  procedures  based  protocol  to  issue  specific bulletins to National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). ESSOIMD  shares  all  its  forecasts  and  warnings  of  various  extreme weather  events  with  NDMA.  In  addition  ESSO-IMD  participate  in meetings  of  crisis  management  committee  at  cabinet  secretariat level  to  organise  the  effective  emergency  response  and  relief operations at state and district levels.
- (d) No Madam. Based on scientific assessment of the need for further augmentation of observing system network, expansions of services to Hill states have been formulated.

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