News Analysis India

Tag: Floods

  • West Bengal govt cautions seven districts on possible flood situation

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: The West Bengal government on Monday said that there is a high possibility of flood in seven districts of the state due to continued incessant rainfall in the upper catchment areas of neighbouring Jharkhand.

    Chief Secretary H K Dwivedi on Monday afternoon held an urgent virtual meeting with senior officials of the districts of Paschim Bardhaman, Bankura, Birbhum, Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Medinipur, Hooghly and Howrah and directed them to immediately take all forms of precautionary measures.

    “During the meeting, the chief secretary directed all District Magistrates and SPs to immediately identify low-lying and flood-prone areas as well as start monitoring waterlogging and embankment breaches and take proper steps for their remedies,” an official statement said.

    “The chief secretary informed the meeting that the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted rainfall to continue till October 5 with heavy rainfall predicted tomorrow. The well-marked low-pressure area is currently hovering over Jharkhand and is likely to continue there for some more time. This will continue to cause high precipitation and will result in high inflow into the dams,” it added.

    It claimed that rainfall in Jharkhand was measured more than 50 mm in the upper catchment area on October 1.

    The district administration and police authorities were also directed to keep adequate stock of relief materials including flood-fighting materials like sandbags for embankment protection in low-lying vulnerable areas, it said.

    “The district administrations were also asked to inform Nabanna (state secretariat) if any area receives unusually higher rainfall, as the water release would need to take into account the precipitation in the lower reaches also,” the statement said.

    During the meeting convened on the instruction of the chief minister and attended by officials of the Irrigation and Waterways and Disaster Management departments and ADG ( Law & Order), the Integrated Command Centres were also asked to be kept operational in districts, it said.

    A 5-hourly report by the districts will be shared with the disaster management 24×7 control room on rainfall, river water levels, embankment breaches and evacuation in case the situation deteriorates.

    Executive Engineers from the Irrigation and Waterways Department to keep close liaison with the district administration in this regard.

    Miking to be done in those areas along with preparatory measures for evacuation of people to a safer location, if required.

    Adequate reserve of relief material including other flood-fighting materials like sandbags, etc, for embankment protection should be kept in stock in low-lying vulnerable areas.

    Appropriate lighting arrangements are to be made for relief and rescue operations.

    It claimed that the inflow into Maithon Dam is currently 60,000 cusec and at Panchet Dam is 73,000 cusec.

    “The release from the dams downstream was made 1,00,000 cusec at 9 am onwards today. However, considering the weather prediction and the decreasing cushion level of the dams to accommodate the continuing high inflow of water, the release may have to be increased in the coming hours in a calibrated manner,” it claimed.

    The Irrigation and Waterways Department will be in touch with the DVC and Jharkhand authorities and keep a close watch over the situation.

    KOLKATA: The West Bengal government on Monday said that there is a high possibility of flood in seven districts of the state due to continued incessant rainfall in the upper catchment areas of neighbouring Jharkhand.

    Chief Secretary H K Dwivedi on Monday afternoon held an urgent virtual meeting with senior officials of the districts of Paschim Bardhaman, Bankura, Birbhum, Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Medinipur, Hooghly and Howrah and directed them to immediately take all forms of precautionary measures.

    “During the meeting, the chief secretary directed all District Magistrates and SPs to immediately identify low-lying and flood-prone areas as well as start monitoring waterlogging and embankment breaches and take proper steps for their remedies,” an official statement said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “The chief secretary informed the meeting that the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted rainfall to continue till October 5 with heavy rainfall predicted tomorrow. The well-marked low-pressure area is currently hovering over Jharkhand and is likely to continue there for some more time. This will continue to cause high precipitation and will result in high inflow into the dams,” it added.

    It claimed that rainfall in Jharkhand was measured more than 50 mm in the upper catchment area on October 1.

    The district administration and police authorities were also directed to keep adequate stock of relief materials including flood-fighting materials like sandbags for embankment protection in low-lying vulnerable areas, it said.

    “The district administrations were also asked to inform Nabanna (state secretariat) if any area receives unusually higher rainfall, as the water release would need to take into account the precipitation in the lower reaches also,” the statement said.

    During the meeting convened on the instruction of the chief minister and attended by officials of the Irrigation and Waterways and Disaster Management departments and ADG ( Law & Order), the Integrated Command Centres were also asked to be kept operational in districts, it said.

    A 5-hourly report by the districts will be shared with the disaster management 24×7 control room on rainfall, river water levels, embankment breaches and evacuation in case the situation deteriorates.

    Executive Engineers from the Irrigation and Waterways Department to keep close liaison with the district administration in this regard.

    Miking to be done in those areas along with preparatory measures for evacuation of people to a safer location, if required.

    Adequate reserve of relief material including other flood-fighting materials like sandbags, etc, for embankment protection should be kept in stock in low-lying vulnerable areas.

    Appropriate lighting arrangements are to be made for relief and rescue operations.

    It claimed that the inflow into Maithon Dam is currently 60,000 cusec and at Panchet Dam is 73,000 cusec.

    “The release from the dams downstream was made 1,00,000 cusec at 9 am onwards today. However, considering the weather prediction and the decreasing cushion level of the dams to accommodate the continuing high inflow of water, the release may have to be increased in the coming hours in a calibrated manner,” it claimed.

    The Irrigation and Waterways Department will be in touch with the DVC and Jharkhand authorities and keep a close watch over the situation.

  • Punjab floods: Protesting farmers stopped from proceeding to Chandigarh, detained 

    Express News Service

    CHANDIGARH: The Haryana police on Tuesday detained farmers at various places while they were proceeding to Chandigarh to protest against the failure of the government to offer compensation for their crops damaged in floods.

    The farmers are demanding a package of Rs 50,000 crore from the Centre for damages caused by floods in the northern region, including Punjab. They are also demanding Rs 50,000 per acre compensation for crop loss, Rs 5 lakh for a damaged house, and Rs 10 lakh compensation for a family of a person who died in the floods.

    The farmers were stopped at Ambala and several other places and detained by the police. Police have been deployed in large numbers on the points bordering Chandigarh to prevent the farmers from entering the city.

    On the Ambala-Chandigarh road, police had set up barricades at many places and the vehicles passing through were being searched.  Also, Anti-riot vehicles and a CCTV vehicle were deployed in Rajpura by Punjab Police.

    Farmers had claimed that several of their leaders were detained on Monday in different parts of Punjab, while some farmers were also held in Ambala and Kurukshetra in Haryana ahead of their protest plan.

    The farmers had even laid siege to some toll plazas in Amritsar and Tarn Taran of Punjab in protest against the detention of their leaders. Also, the farmers resorted to dharna at the toll plaza between Shahkot and Moga. The Sugarcane Sangharsh Samiti and Bhartiya Kisan Union demanded the government release all the detained farmer leaders immediately, failing which, they threatened to launch a huge protest.

    Earlier on Monday, a farmer died in Sangrur district of Punjab after being run over by a tractor-trolley, while five policemen were injured after growers clashed with police over the “detention” of some farm leaders.

    Family members demanded the police to hand over the body of Pritam Singh who was run over on Monday so that they can move it to a hospital for post-mortem. But police declined to handover the body suspecting that a dharna would be staged by the family.

    A case has been registered against farmers at the Longowal police station in Sangrur district for the death of a farmer yesterday evening this has further agitated the farmers and they want the case withdrawn.

    Sixteen farm bodies, including the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Bharti Kisan Union (Karanti kari), BKU (Ekta Azaad), Aazaad Kisan Committee, Doaba, BKU (Behramke) and the Bhoomi Bachao Mohim, had given the call for staging a demonstration here to seek compensation for losses caused by floods.

    Meanwhile, the Punjab Government released Rs 186 crore to the farmers for the loss of their crops in recent floods.

    Punjab Revenue, Rehabilitation, and Disaster  Management Minister Bram Shanker Jimpa said that an amount of more than Rs. 186 crore to compensate for the crop loss of the farmers of the affected districts due to floods has been released. He said that advance funds have been released to the Deputy Commissioners of 16 districts of the state from the Natural Disaster Relief Fund to provide relief for the crop damage.

    Jimpa said that in the months of July and August, the crops of farmers were damaged due to floods in many areas and a Special Girdawari has been conducted in all the flood-affected areas of the state. He said that Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann fulfilled his promise to the flood victims on August 15 and initiated the process to hand over cheques of compensation. 

    CHANDIGARH: The Haryana police on Tuesday detained farmers at various places while they were proceeding to Chandigarh to protest against the failure of the government to offer compensation for their crops damaged in floods.

    The farmers are demanding a package of Rs 50,000 crore from the Centre for damages caused by floods in the northern region, including Punjab. They are also demanding Rs 50,000 per acre compensation for crop loss, Rs 5 lakh for a damaged house, and Rs 10 lakh compensation for a family of a person who died in the floods.

    The farmers were stopped at Ambala and several other places and detained by the police. Police have been deployed in large numbers on the points bordering Chandigarh to prevent the farmers from entering the city.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    On the Ambala-Chandigarh road, police had set up barricades at many places and the vehicles passing through were being searched.  Also, Anti-riot vehicles and a CCTV vehicle were deployed in Rajpura by Punjab Police.

    Farmers had claimed that several of their leaders were detained on Monday in different parts of Punjab, while some farmers were also held in Ambala and Kurukshetra in Haryana ahead of their protest plan.

    The farmers had even laid siege to some toll plazas in Amritsar and Tarn Taran of Punjab in protest against the detention of their leaders. Also, the farmers resorted to dharna at the toll plaza between Shahkot and Moga. The Sugarcane Sangharsh Samiti and Bhartiya Kisan Union demanded the government release all the detained farmer leaders immediately, failing which, they threatened to launch a huge protest.

    Earlier on Monday, a farmer died in Sangrur district of Punjab after being run over by a tractor-trolley, while five policemen were injured after growers clashed with police over the “detention” of some farm leaders.

    Family members demanded the police to hand over the body of Pritam Singh who was run over on Monday so that they can move it to a hospital for post-mortem. But police declined to handover the body suspecting that a dharna would be staged by the family.

    A case has been registered against farmers at the Longowal police station in Sangrur district for the death of a farmer yesterday evening this has further agitated the farmers and they want the case withdrawn.

    Sixteen farm bodies, including the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Bharti Kisan Union (Karanti kari), BKU (Ekta Azaad), Aazaad Kisan Committee, Doaba, BKU (Behramke) and the Bhoomi Bachao Mohim, had given the call for staging a demonstration here to seek compensation for losses caused by floods.

    Meanwhile, the Punjab Government released Rs 186 crore to the farmers for the loss of their crops in recent floods.

    Punjab Revenue, Rehabilitation, and Disaster  Management Minister Bram Shanker Jimpa said that an amount of more than Rs. 186 crore to compensate for the crop loss of the farmers of the affected districts due to floods has been released. He said that advance funds have been released to the Deputy Commissioners of 16 districts of the state from the Natural Disaster Relief Fund to provide relief for the crop damage.

    Jimpa said that in the months of July and August, the crops of farmers were damaged due to floods in many areas and a Special Girdawari has been conducted in all the flood-affected areas of the state. He said that Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann fulfilled his promise to the flood victims on August 15 and initiated the process to hand over cheques of compensation.
     

  • Flood fury in Punjab: Two teen boys drown in swollen river, 150 villages marooned

    Express News Service

    CHANDIGARH: The flood situation in Punjab worsened on Thursday following the release of excess water from the Bhakra-Nangal and Pong dams into the swollen Beas and Sutlej rivers.

    Two teenage boys accidentally fell into a swollen rivulet in the Gurdaspur district, where they had gone to watch the rising water level. Their bodies were recovered later. Another person went missing in Kapurthala district. 

    The flood waters have inundated at least 150 villages in six districts of Punjab, disrupting normal life.

    The authorities had issued fair warning and nearly 9,700 people were rescued, officials said.

    According to official sources, 70 villages in Gurdaspur are affected and around 5,000 people have been evacuated from the district. 

    In neighbouring Hoshiarpur district, 18 villages are under water, officials said. The number of affected villages in Taran Taran district is estimated at 39.

    In Ropar district, some 15 villages are affected while in Amritsar district, one village is hit. 

    Pong and Bhakhra release water. It is said that the gates shall be open for next 10 days. The visuals on my way back near Beas today were heartbreaking. Punjab floods yet again!#Punjab#Floods pic.twitter.com/rj1pTCG2EV
    — Harmeen Soch (@HarmeenSoch) August 17, 2023
    Himanshu Agarwal, deputy commissioner of Gurdaspur, said that multiple teams of the National Disaster Response Force, Army and Border Security Force have been pressed into service to rescue marooned villagers. 

    Officials fear the flood situation may escalate further as heavy rain is expected in upstream Himachal Pradesh, where the catchment areas of the Pong and Bhakra dams lie.

    The Punjab government has already sounded a red alert for the downstream districts of Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, and Tarn Taran.

    Flooding may have damaged 90% of paddy cropPunjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday visited Hoshiarpur district to take stock of the situation. He said the state government has ordered a survey to ascertain the loss incurred to people due to floods.

    According to preliminary estimates, 90% of the paddy crop has been adversely affected.

    CHANDIGARH: The flood situation in Punjab worsened on Thursday following the release of excess water from the Bhakra-Nangal and Pong dams into the swollen Beas and Sutlej rivers.

    Two teenage boys accidentally fell into a swollen rivulet in the Gurdaspur district, where they had gone to watch the rising water level. Their bodies were recovered later. Another person went missing in Kapurthala district. 

    The flood waters have inundated at least 150 villages in six districts of Punjab, disrupting normal life.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    The authorities had issued fair warning and nearly 9,700 people were rescued, officials said.

    According to official sources, 70 villages in Gurdaspur are affected and around 5,000 people have been evacuated from the district. 

    In neighbouring Hoshiarpur district, 18 villages are under water, officials said. The number of affected villages in Taran Taran district is estimated at 39.

    In Ropar district, some 15 villages are affected while in Amritsar district, one village is hit. 

    Pong and Bhakhra release water. It is said that the gates shall be open for next 10 days. The visuals on my way back near Beas today were heartbreaking. Punjab floods yet again!#Punjab#Floods pic.twitter.com/rj1pTCG2EV
    — Harmeen Soch (@HarmeenSoch) August 17, 2023
    Himanshu Agarwal, deputy commissioner of Gurdaspur, said that multiple teams of the National Disaster Response Force, Army and Border Security Force have been pressed into service to rescue marooned villagers. 

    Officials fear the flood situation may escalate further as heavy rain is expected in upstream Himachal Pradesh, where the catchment areas of the Pong and Bhakra dams lie.

    The Punjab government has already sounded a red alert for the downstream districts of Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, and Tarn Taran.

    Flooding may have damaged 90% of paddy crop
    Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday visited Hoshiarpur district to take stock of the situation. He said the state government has ordered a survey to ascertain the loss incurred to people due to floods.

    According to preliminary estimates, 90% of the paddy crop has been adversely affected.

  • 1,457 villages still affected by floods in Punjab

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: A total of 1,457 villages in Punjab are still affected by floods caused by the recent heavy downpour in the state, officials said on Saturday.

    Currently, 19 districts “Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Fatehgarh Sahib, Faridkot, Hoshiarpur, Rupnagar, Kapurthala, Patiala, Moga, Ludhiana, SAS Nagar, Jalandhar, Sangrur, SBS Nagar, Fazilka, Gurdaspur, Mansa, Bathinda and Pathankot” are flood-affected, they said.

    A total of 27,221 people were evacuated from waterlogged areas and taken to safer places in the state, the officials said, adding 170 relief camps are operational in which 4,909 flood-hit people are staying.

    According to a report by the revenue department, 40 people lost their lives due to the floods and 15 were injured.

    Several districts of Punjab and Haryana were battered by the recent heavy downpour that left normal life paralysed and flooded vast tracts of residential and agricultural land.

    Though the floodwaters have receded in many areas of Punjab and Haryana, work on plugging breaches in earthen embankments that have come up along the rivers was going on.

    Punjab Water Resources Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer on Thursday issued instructions to speed up the work on plugging breaches along rivers at different places in the state.

    CHANDIGARH: A total of 1,457 villages in Punjab are still affected by floods caused by the recent heavy downpour in the state, officials said on Saturday.

    Currently, 19 districts “Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Fatehgarh Sahib, Faridkot, Hoshiarpur, Rupnagar, Kapurthala, Patiala, Moga, Ludhiana, SAS Nagar, Jalandhar, Sangrur, SBS Nagar, Fazilka, Gurdaspur, Mansa, Bathinda and Pathankot” are flood-affected, they said.

    A total of 27,221 people were evacuated from waterlogged areas and taken to safer places in the state, the officials said, adding 170 relief camps are operational in which 4,909 flood-hit people are staying.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    According to a report by the revenue department, 40 people lost their lives due to the floods and 15 were injured.

    Several districts of Punjab and Haryana were battered by the recent heavy downpour that left normal life paralysed and flooded vast tracts of residential and agricultural land.

    Though the floodwaters have receded in many areas of Punjab and Haryana, work on plugging breaches in earthen embankments that have come up along the rivers was going on.

    Punjab Water Resources Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer on Thursday issued instructions to speed up the work on plugging breaches along rivers at different places in the state.

  • 1.6K died in extreme weather events in ’22, most in floods, landslips: Report

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: According to the annual report of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), India witnessed over 1,600 people killed in 2022 in extreme weather events.

    Floods and landslides caused over 700 deaths while lightning caused over 900 deaths were reported in 2022. Globally, the report states that climate change has already caused the displacement of 95 million people and more are getting displaced as the impact of climate change is increasing.

    The report “state of the Global Climate 2022”, further states that heatwaves in the 2022 premonsoon season in India and Pakistan caused a decline in crop yields. subsequently, India put a ban on wheat exportwhich further exacerbated the global food crisis.

    The report underlined that the continued increase of heat-trapping greenhouse gases is causing socio-economic upheavals and environmental impacts. It is causing a global food crisis, displacement, floods, heat waves and droughts.

    For instance, record-breaking rainfall in Pakistan caused the death of over 1700 people, displaced 8 million people, and affected over 33 million people. It caused a loss of $30 billion.

    Record-breaking heatwaves in Europe in 2022 caused the deaths of over 15000 people across Spain, Ger many, the UK, France, and Portugal. Moreover, between the years 2015-2022, there were the eighth warmest on record despite the cooling impact of a La niña event for the past three years.

    The melting of glaciers and sea level rise again reached record levels in 2022. Climate change has alsocaused serious consequences on the environment. The snow reserve of the Tibet plateau at a higher elevation is expanding, migratory birds’ routes and foods are mismatching, and shift in time of blooming of the flowers. It is alarming for the whole planetary system.

    NEW DELHI: According to the annual report of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), India witnessed over 1,600 people killed in 2022 in extreme weather events.

    Floods and landslides caused over 700 deaths while lightning caused over 900 deaths were reported in 2022. Globally, the report states that climate change has already caused the displacement of 95 million people and more are getting displaced as the impact of climate change is increasing.

    The report “state of the Global Climate 2022”, further states that heatwaves in the 2022 premonsoon season in India and Pakistan caused a decline in crop yields. subsequently, India put a ban on wheat export
    which further exacerbated the global food crisis.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2′); });

    The report underlined that the continued increase of heat-trapping greenhouse gases is causing socio-economic upheavals and environmental impacts. It is causing a global food crisis, displacement, floods, heat waves and droughts.

    For instance, record-breaking rainfall in Pakistan caused the death of over 1700 people, displaced 8 million people, and affected over 33 million people. It caused a loss of $30 billion.

    Record-breaking heatwaves in Europe in 2022 caused the deaths of over 15000 people across Spain, Ger many, the UK, France, and Portugal. Moreover, between the years 2015-2022, there were the eighth warmest on record despite the cooling impact of a La niña event for the past three years.

    The melting of glaciers and sea level rise again reached record levels in 2022. Climate change has also
    caused serious consequences on the environment. The snow reserve of the Tibet plateau at a higher elevation is expanding, migratory birds’ routes and foods are mismatching, and shift in time of blooming of the flowers. It is alarming for the whole planetary system.

  • Massive floods likely to reduce Pak’s GDP by over 2 percentage points, says PM Shehbaz Sharif 

    By PTI

    ISLAMABAD: The massive floods in Pakistan are likely to reduce its GDP by over 2 percentage points and the government is grappling with the immediate challenge of averting imminent food insecurity in the country, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said.

    During a telephonic conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday to express gratitude for extending humanitarian relief assistance to Pakistan, Sharif said the ongoing floods have devastated millions of acres of standing crops, houses and critical infrastructure in the country, according to an official statement.

    The prime minister said as per initial estimates, the floods are likely to reduce Pakistan’s GDP by over 2 percentage points.

    “Pakistan is grappling with the immediate challenge of averting imminent food insecurity in the country as well as providing for rescue and rehabilitation of the victims of this climate-induced calamity,” Sharif told Erdogan.

    He said the government is fighting to avoid food shortages due to the destruction of crops in the wake of the historic floods.

    The current floods triggered by monsoon rains have so far killed nearly 1,400 people and injured another 12,728, while damaging 6,674 km of road and destroying over 1.7 million houses.

    ISLAMABAD: The massive floods in Pakistan are likely to reduce its GDP by over 2 percentage points and the government is grappling with the immediate challenge of averting imminent food insecurity in the country, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said.

    During a telephonic conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday to express gratitude for extending humanitarian relief assistance to Pakistan, Sharif said the ongoing floods have devastated millions of acres of standing crops, houses and critical infrastructure in the country, according to an official statement.

    The prime minister said as per initial estimates, the floods are likely to reduce Pakistan’s GDP by over 2 percentage points.

    “Pakistan is grappling with the immediate challenge of averting imminent food insecurity in the country as well as providing for rescue and rehabilitation of the victims of this climate-induced calamity,” Sharif told Erdogan.

    He said the government is fighting to avoid food shortages due to the destruction of crops in the wake of the historic floods.

    The current floods triggered by monsoon rains have so far killed nearly 1,400 people and injured another 12,728, while damaging 6,674 km of road and destroying over 1.7 million houses.

  • Flood devastation: States impervious to huge losses; only 4 enforced floodplain zoning law

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Despite huge losses to life and property in floods, only three states and one Union Territory have enforced the law for floodplain zoning which aims to minimise the damage caused due to deluge.

    Experts have called for its immediate implementation in the country in view of frequent floods occurring due to climate change.

    Floodplain zoning measures aim at demarcating zones or areas likely to be affected by floods that hit with different magnitude, frequencies, and probability, and specify the types of permissible developments in these zones so that whenever floods actually occur, the damage can be minimised.

    The model bill for floodplain zoning provides for formation of a floodplain zoning authority by state governments, with a governing body under the chairmanship of the chief minister.

    The authority is supposed to delineate floodplain zones and other measures for keeping flood plains encroachment free.

    According to a senior official, only three states and one Union Territory till now have enacted the legislation.

    These are Manipur, Rajasthan, and Uttarakhand, and the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir.

    Even there, the delineation and demarcation of floodplains is yet to be done, the official said.

    Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, and Odisha — all major flood-prone states — have not taken initiative to enact any legislation with regard to Flood Plain Zoning.

    “We have asked states to reduce any further construction on the floodplains and ensure there is no further encroachment,” the official told PTI.

    Experts have warned of ‘dire consequences’ if floodplain zoning is not done at the earliest in view of the rise in the number of floods due to climate change.

    Last year, the Jal Shakti ministry told Parliament that about 2,000 people lost their lives due to cyclonic storms, heavy rains, and floods and landslides during 2021-22.

    According to data shared by the ministry in response to a question in Rajya Sabha, the highest number of lives lost due to cyclonic storms, heavy rains and floods and landslides in 2021-22 were in Maharashtra at 489, followed by Gujarat and UP, each of which lost 162 lives.

    Environmental activist and water expert Himanshu Thakkar said even though some states have enacted the legislation, no state in the country has implemented it. “The only state which did a little bit of work on it was Maharashtra, where they assigned ‘red’ and ‘green’ line on floodplains, which meant that no activity within ‘red line’, which was restricted behind the ‘green line.’

    “Even that was de-notified. So even Maharashtra is not following it now. No political party is being serious about its implementation and there is no political will,” he said. Thakkar stressed that if floodplains are encroached upon or become a dumping ground then it is an invitation to major trouble.

    “In terms of increased floods and more urban footprint the situation is worsening. Also, in the context of climate change, again the flood intensity increases so it is urgent to come out with a floodplain protection plan,” he said.

    Shripad Dharmadhikary, environment activist and founder of Manthan Adhyayan Kendra, a centre to research, monitor and analyse water and energy issues, said that for flood management there is a need to give space to the river.

    “Floodplain zoning is for the river to flow and only when you have proper zoning regulations then you can prevent encroachment on river floodplains which has become a very serious issue. This is particularly important where rivers flow through urban areas where there is more encroachments. So these areas specially require strict zoning regulations,” he told PTI.

    He said not demarcating floodplains can have serious repercussions because construction there leads to rise in the level of floods which can have a very high disaster rate.

    Dharmadhikary too stressed the role of climate change, which, he said, has caused an increase in frequency of the floods. “So now, it is more important to do floodplain zoning,” he added.

    In the last parliament session, a standing parliamentary committee also rapped Assam, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar for not taking any initiative to enact the model bill for floodplain zoning despite bearing huge loss of property.

    The committee had then asked the Centre to make renewed and concerted efforts to persuade the state governments for enactment of the model bill on flood plain zoning, with a provision that allowed the states to modify or customize the bill in line with their socio-economic realities.

    “Further, the Ministry of Jal Shakti should also consider providing financial assistance to those states that are willing to implement floodplain zoning,” it had said.

    National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) too has repeatedly asked states in the Ganga basin for demarcation, delineation, and notification of river floodplains and removal of encroachment from river bed/floodplains of Ganga and its tributaries in adherence to the River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Order, 2016.

    NEW DELHI: Despite huge losses to life and property in floods, only three states and one Union Territory have enforced the law for floodplain zoning which aims to minimise the damage caused due to deluge.

    Experts have called for its immediate implementation in the country in view of frequent floods occurring due to climate change.

    Floodplain zoning measures aim at demarcating zones or areas likely to be affected by floods that hit with different magnitude, frequencies, and probability, and specify the types of permissible developments in these zones so that whenever floods actually occur, the damage can be minimised.

    The model bill for floodplain zoning provides for formation of a floodplain zoning authority by state governments, with a governing body under the chairmanship of the chief minister.

    The authority is supposed to delineate floodplain zones and other measures for keeping flood plains encroachment free.

    According to a senior official, only three states and one Union Territory till now have enacted the legislation.

    These are Manipur, Rajasthan, and Uttarakhand, and the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir.

    Even there, the delineation and demarcation of floodplains is yet to be done, the official said.

    Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, and Odisha — all major flood-prone states — have not taken initiative to enact any legislation with regard to Flood Plain Zoning.

    “We have asked states to reduce any further construction on the floodplains and ensure there is no further encroachment,” the official told PTI.

    Experts have warned of ‘dire consequences’ if floodplain zoning is not done at the earliest in view of the rise in the number of floods due to climate change.

    Last year, the Jal Shakti ministry told Parliament that about 2,000 people lost their lives due to cyclonic storms, heavy rains, and floods and landslides during 2021-22.

    According to data shared by the ministry in response to a question in Rajya Sabha, the highest number of lives lost due to cyclonic storms, heavy rains and floods and landslides in 2021-22 were in Maharashtra at 489, followed by Gujarat and UP, each of which lost 162 lives.

    Environmental activist and water expert Himanshu Thakkar said even though some states have enacted the legislation, no state in the country has implemented it. “The only state which did a little bit of work on it was Maharashtra, where they assigned ‘red’ and ‘green’ line on floodplains, which meant that no activity within ‘red line’, which was restricted behind the ‘green line.’

    “Even that was de-notified. So even Maharashtra is not following it now. No political party is being serious about its implementation and there is no political will,” he said. Thakkar stressed that if floodplains are encroached upon or become a dumping ground then it is an invitation to major trouble.

    “In terms of increased floods and more urban footprint the situation is worsening. Also, in the context of climate change, again the flood intensity increases so it is urgent to come out with a floodplain protection plan,” he said.

    Shripad Dharmadhikary, environment activist and founder of Manthan Adhyayan Kendra, a centre to research, monitor and analyse water and energy issues, said that for flood management there is a need to give space to the river.

    “Floodplain zoning is for the river to flow and only when you have proper zoning regulations then you can prevent encroachment on river floodplains which has become a very serious issue. This is particularly important where rivers flow through urban areas where there is more encroachments. So these areas specially require strict zoning regulations,” he told PTI.

    He said not demarcating floodplains can have serious repercussions because construction there leads to rise in the level of floods which can have a very high disaster rate.

    Dharmadhikary too stressed the role of climate change, which, he said, has caused an increase in frequency of the floods. “So now, it is more important to do floodplain zoning,” he added.

    In the last parliament session, a standing parliamentary committee also rapped Assam, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar for not taking any initiative to enact the model bill for floodplain zoning despite bearing huge loss of property.

    The committee had then asked the Centre to make renewed and concerted efforts to persuade the state governments for enactment of the model bill on flood plain zoning, with a provision that allowed the states to modify or customize the bill in line with their socio-economic realities.

    “Further, the Ministry of Jal Shakti should also consider providing financial assistance to those states that are willing to implement floodplain zoning,” it had said.

    National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) too has repeatedly asked states in the Ganga basin for demarcation, delineation, and notification of river floodplains and removal of encroachment from river bed/floodplains of Ganga and its tributaries in adherence to the River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Order, 2016.

  • Heavy rain, landslides and flash floods strike MP, Himachal, Uttarakhand  

    By Express News Service

    DEHRADUN/BHOPAL/CHANDIGARH: Torrential rains and flash floods have thrown life out of gear in several parts of the country, leading to the loss of lives and property in several separate incidents. In Himachal Pradesh, two people were buried alive under debris following a landslide in the Kullu district. Ten shops and three vehicles were washed away after a cloudburst hit the Deuthi panchayat in Anni tehsil on Thursday morning, Director of state disaster management department, Sudesh Mokhta, said.

    At least seven persons, including a toddler girl, were swept away in flooded rivers and nullahs in the Indore and Betul districts of Madhya Pradesh over the last 24 hours. In Indore, 23-year-old Jafar Khan has been swept away in the Chandan Nagar area, a 26-year-old woman jumped into an overflowing nullah to save her son (who has slipped in the water body) was washed away, even as local residents saved her son. While Jafar’s body was recovered on Thursday, the woman is untraceable.

    In Betul district, at least five persons were lost in flooded rivers and nullahs in three places. The first mishap happened in the Amla area on Wednesday when a youth Rajendra Omkar was driving sister Sandhya and toddler niece Lavanya on a motorbike for the Raksha Bandhan festival.

    Unable to gauge the flow of water in the Kharpada river, he drove the motorbike through the bridge but was swept away with his sister and niece. While Sandhya and daughter Lavanya’s bodies were recovered on Thursday, Rajendra remains untraced.

    Youth in an inebriated state was washed away in the Marghat river in the Athner area of the Betul district, while another youth was swept away in a flooded nullah elsewhere in the same district. Only one of the two bodies has been recovered until now.

    In Uttarakhand, during the last 24 hours, unabated rainfall caused heavy damage to property in the Garhwal hills. Eight shops, including two jewellery shops, got washed away on Kumola Road in the Purola area of Uttarkashi district at around 2 am. The ATM of Punjab National Bank has also been swept away. Branch manager Chanchal Joshi said Rs 24 lakh was deposited in the ATM on Wednesday evening itself.

    DEHRADUN/BHOPAL/CHANDIGARH: Torrential rains and flash floods have thrown life out of gear in several parts of the country, leading to the loss of lives and property in several separate incidents. In Himachal Pradesh, two people were buried alive under debris following a landslide in the Kullu district. Ten shops and three vehicles were washed away after a cloudburst hit the Deuthi panchayat in Anni tehsil on Thursday morning, Director of state disaster management department, Sudesh Mokhta, said.

    At least seven persons, including a toddler girl, were swept away in flooded rivers and nullahs in the Indore and Betul districts of Madhya Pradesh over the last 24 hours. In Indore, 23-year-old Jafar Khan has been swept away in the Chandan Nagar area, a 26-year-old woman jumped into an overflowing nullah to save her son (who has slipped in the water body) was washed away, even as local residents saved her son. While Jafar’s body was recovered on Thursday, the woman is untraceable.

    In Betul district, at least five persons were lost in flooded rivers and nullahs in three places. The first mishap happened in the Amla area on Wednesday when a youth Rajendra Omkar was driving sister Sandhya and toddler niece Lavanya on a motorbike for the Raksha Bandhan festival.

    Unable to gauge the flow of water in the Kharpada river, he drove the motorbike through the bridge but was swept away with his sister and niece. While Sandhya and daughter Lavanya’s bodies were recovered on Thursday, Rajendra remains untraced.

    Youth in an inebriated state was washed away in the Marghat river in the Athner area of the Betul district, while another youth was swept away in a flooded nullah elsewhere in the same district. Only one of the two bodies has been recovered until now.

    In Uttarakhand, during the last 24 hours, unabated rainfall caused heavy damage to property in the Garhwal hills. Eight shops, including two jewellery shops, got washed away on Kumola Road in the Purola area of Uttarkashi district at around 2 am. The ATM of Punjab National Bank has also been swept away. Branch manager Chanchal Joshi said Rs 24 lakh was deposited in the ATM on Wednesday evening itself.

  • Gujarat rains:11 dead in 24 hrs, 54 deaths reported so far

    By Express News Service

    AHMEDABAD: Heavy rains continued to lash parts of south Gujarat and the Saurashtra region on Friday, with six talukas receiving over 200 mm rainfall in 24 hours. There appears to be no immediate respite in sight as the India Meteorological Department has predicted “heavy to very heavy rainfall” at some places on Saturday.

    “A total of 54 deaths have been reported in the state so far; 11 people have died in the last 24 hours. Three of them fell off a bridge and died,” Disaster Management Minister Rajendra Trivedi said. The water levels in Purna and Ambika rivers in Navsari have decreased, and as the situation improved, only two districts — including Valsad and Dang — are on red alert, Trivedi added. 

    “Over 800 people have been rescued in 24 hours. This is the first incident of such a large-scale rescue in a single day. Disaster response teams have done commendable work. As many as 1,254 people have been rescued since July 7. Nine people have been airlifted by the Air Force in Navsari,” said Trivedi.

    AHMEDABAD: Heavy rains continued to lash parts of south Gujarat and the Saurashtra region on Friday, with six talukas receiving over 200 mm rainfall in 24 hours. There appears to be no immediate respite in sight as the India Meteorological Department has predicted “heavy to very heavy rainfall” at some places on Saturday.

    “A total of 54 deaths have been reported in the state so far; 11 people have died in the last 24 hours. Three of them fell off a bridge and died,” Disaster Management Minister Rajendra Trivedi said. The water levels in Purna and Ambika rivers in Navsari have decreased, and as the situation improved, only two districts — including Valsad and Dang — are on red alert, Trivedi added. 

    “Over 800 people have been rescued in 24 hours. This is the first incident of such a large-scale rescue in a single day. Disaster response teams have done commendable work. As many as 1,254 people have been rescued since July 7. Nine people have been airlifted by the Air Force in Navsari,” said Trivedi.

  • Flood situation in Assam critical as Silchar remains underwater, toll rises to 108

    By PTI

    GUWAHATI: The flood situation in Assam was critical on Friday with 45.34 lakh people reeling under the deluge, officials said.

    The Brahmaputra and Barak rivers along with their tributaries are in spate, even as floodwaters started receding from a few areas, they said. The toll rose to 108 with seven deaths reported in the last 24 hours, they added.

    The situation in Silchar, considered ‘Gateway to Barak Valley’, is alarming with most areas still underwater, a district official said.

    The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said that it has further expedited rescue and relief operations with additional resources deployed in the severely affected districts, especially Cachar where Silchar is located.

    Eight NDRF teams with 207 personnel were brought in from Itanagar and Bhubaneswar, while an Army team with 120 members was sent in from Dimapur along with nine boats for the operations in Silchar, officials said.

    Additionally, two CRPF and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams were airlifted to Cachar, they added. The state government has started a helpline — 0361-2237219, 9401044617, and 1079 — for the situation in the district.

    Nearly 3 lakh people have been affected by an acute shortage of food, clean drinking water and medicines as almost the entire Silchar town is submerged in flood waters, officials said. Food packets, water bottles and other essentials are being dropped by Air Force helicopters, they said.

    The three districts in the valley — Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj — were severely affected by the rising waters of the Barak and Kushiara.

    The worst-affected district is Barpeta where 10,32,561 people are suffering, followed by Kamrup where 4,29,166 people have been hit.

    The devastating floods, caused by incessant rainfall, have affected 103 revenue circles and 4,536 villages. A total of 2,84,875 people have taken shelter in 759 relief camps across the state, it said.

    The flood also damaged 173 roads and 20 bridges, while two embankments each were breached in Baksa and Darrang districts. In all, 10,0869.7 hectares of crop area have been flooded.

    Largescale erosion has been reported in Baksa, Barpeta, Biswanath, Bongaigaon, Chirang, and Dhubri districts, among others.