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CHAPTER - VIII
Flood and Flood Control Measures
8.1.0 The recurrence of flood and erosion continued
to be the burning problems of Assam. The Brahmaputra and the Barak are
the main two rivers, which causes major problem during the monsoon period
every year in the shape of floods, bank erosion and drainage congestion.
In fact, the successive waves of devastating floods in almost every
year have virtually destroyed the economy, more particularly, the rural
economy of the State. The main factors causing extensive floods are
the adverse physiography of the region, heavy rainfall, excessive sedimentation,
frequent occurrence of earthquakes, hill/land sliding, reduction of
forest area and encroachment of the riverine area. Usually Assam experience
incessant rainfalls during the monsoon season, which normally commence
from the month of May and remain till mid October, Apart from this,
occurrence of floods in Assam has direct correlation with rainfall in
the catchments areas of neighbouring states of Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya,
Mizoram, Nagaland and the adjacent country of Bhutan.
8.1.1 In Assam, the flood and erosion cause
enormous damages in the crops, livestock, land, property and bring untold
miseries of the people at large. The National Flood Commission had estimated
the area vulnerable to floods in Assam as 31.60 lakh hectares against
335.16 lakh hectares for whole India. Assam thus accounts for 9.4 per
cent of total flood prone area of the country. Due to flood problem,
the State has not been able to achieve the desired progress and prosperity
in spite of having vast natural resources. During the year 2002, a total
of 674.148 hectares of area were affected by floods resulting in heavy
damages, the value of which is estimated at Rs 18,678.60 lakh. The table
8.1 shows the extent of damages caused by flood in the state over the
last five years.
TABLE – 8.1
DAMAGES CAUSED BY FLOOD IN ASSAM
|
Item
|
Unit
|
Ninth Five Year Plan Period
|
10th Five Year Plan Period
|
|
1.
|
Area effected
|
Hect.
|
753409
|
1323751
|
223107
|
966053
|
239511
|
674148
|
|
2.
|
Population affected
|
No.
|
2750624
|
6957095
|
890648
|
3888385
|
542634
|
7550561
|
|
3.
|
Human lives lost
|
No.
|
28
|
125
|
3
|
36
|
4
|
65
|
|
4.
|
Lost of Cattle
|
No.
|
1961
|
86224
|
992
|
19988
|
15
|
4294
|
|
5.
|
Villages affected
|
No.
|
5408
|
7740
|
1103
|
5090
|
1277
|
6807
|
|
6.
|
Area croded
|
Hect.
|
49351
|
5634
|
9838
|
-
|
5348
|
429657
|
|
7.
|
Value of crop loss
|
Rs in lakh
|
1945.58
|
46330.36
|
5046.38
|
17351.57
|
835.79
|
14559.95
|
|
8.
|
Value of houses damaged
|
Rs in lakh
|
998.49
|
3364.62
|
149.91
|
1648.45
|
259.49
|
4118.65
|
|
9.
|
Total value of damages
|
Rs in lakh
|
2944.07
|
49694.98
|
5195.99
|
19000.02
|
1095.28
|
18678.60
|
|
|
Source: Water Resources Department, Assam
|
FLOOD CONTROL MEASURES:
8.1.2 In order to prevent the menace of recurring
floods, different flood management schemes/projects are in operation
in the State. The Table 8.2 shows the achievement under various flood
control programmes in Assam.
TABLE – 8.2
ACHIEVEMENT UNDER VARIOUS FLOOD CONTROL PROGRAMMES IN ASSAM
|
Item
|
Unit
|
Upto the end of 8th Five Year
Plan
|
Upto the end of 9th Five Year
Plan
|
2002-2003
|
Total
|
|
1. Embankments and R/S
|
Km.
|
4448.000
|
4458.600
|
1.100
|
4459.700
|
|
2. Drainage channels
|
Km.
|
850.690
|
850.690
|
Nil
|
850.690
|
|
3. Protection and Anti Erosion Work
|
No.
|
629
|
681
|
4
|
685
|
|
4. Major Sluices
|
No.
|
85
|
85
|
Nil
|
85
|
|
5. Benefited Area
|
Lakh Hect.
|
16,170
|
16.181
|
0.001
|
16.182
|
|
6. Retirements
|
Km.
|
-
|
47.470
|
-
|
47.470
|
|
|
Source: Water Resources Department, Assam
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8.1.3 Achievement and Expenditure made under
different heads of flood control measures in Assam during the last six
years are shown in tables 8.3 to 8.7.
TABLE – 8.3
ACHIEVEMENT AND EXPENDITURE UNDER DIFFERENT FLOOD CONTROL MEASURES
IN ASSAM
|
Year
|
Achievement
|
Expenditure
(Rs in lakh)
|
|
Embankment and R/S (Km.)
|
Retirement (Km.)
|
Anti-Erosion Works (No.)
|
Drainage (No.)
|
Benefited area (Hectare)
|
|
1997-1998
|
2.500
|
22.482
|
14
|
5
|
300
|
1489.01
|
|
1998-1999
|
2.000
|
23.275
|
10
|
Nil
|
300
|
1301.65
|
|
1999-2000
|
2.000
|
1.750
|
7
|
Nil
|
1000
|
1606.38
|
|
2000-2001
|
2.000
|
-
|
7
|
1 (40% completed)
|
200
|
1635.00
|
|
2001-2002
|
2.100
|
-
|
14
|
-
|
200
|
800.00
|
|
2002-2003
|
1.100
|
-
|
4
|
Nil
|
100
|
941.22
|
|
TABLE – 8.4
ACHIEVEMENT UNDER CENTRAL LOAN ASSISTANCE
|
Year
|
Achievement
|
Expenditure
(Rupees in lakh)
|
|
1998-1999
|
48 Nos. of schemes in progress
|
1800.00
|
|
1999-2000
|
48 Nos. of schemes on the verge of completion
|
750.00
|
|
2000-2001
|
8 Nos. of Schemes physically completed,
36 Nos. of Schemes on the verge of completion
|
1129.67
|
|
2001-2002
|
4 Nos. of schemes physically completed
|
Nil
|
|
2002-2003
|
39 Nos. on-going schemes
|
Nil
|
|
TABLE – 8.5
ACHIEVEMENT OF SCHEMES UNDER NON-LAPSABLE CENTRAL POOL OF RESOURCES
|
Year
|
Achievement
|
Expenditure
(Rupees in lakh)
|
|
1998-1999
|
25 Nos. of schemes costing Rs 64.07 crore
taken up
|
500.00
|
|
1999-2000
|
R/S – 31.4 Km., Embankment – 5.994 Km.,
A/E – 3 Nos
|
500.00
|
|
2000-2001
|
25 Nos. of ongoing schemes
|
500.00
|
|
2001-2002
|
35 Nos. of on-going schemes
|
500.00
|
|
2002-2003
|
28 Nos. of on-going schemes
|
2525.00
|
|
TABLE – 8.6
ACHIEVEMENT UNDER N.E.C. SCHEMES
|
Year
|
Achievement
|
Expenditure
(Rupees in lakh)
|
|
1998-1999
|
4 Nos. of schemes costing Rs 1.3.10 crore
has taken up
|
40.00
|
|
1999-2000
|
3 Nos on the verge of completion
|
55.00
|
|
2000-2001
|
2 Nos. of Schemes completed both physically
and financially, 1 No. of Scheme on the verge of completion
|
49.87
|
|
2001-2002
|
1 No. of Scheme completed
|
179.60
|
|
2002-2003
|
1 No ongoing scheme and 2 Nos new schemes
and survey schemes for small projects.
|
Nil
|
|
TABLE – 8.7
ACHIEVEMENT UNDER JRC SCHEME
|
Year
|
Achievement
|
Expenditure
(Rupees in lakh)
|
|
1998-1999
|
3 Nos. of Schemes on the verge of completion
|
55.00
|
|
1999-2000
|
4 Nos. of Schemes on the verge of completion
|
105.20
|
|
2000-2001
|
2 Nos. of Schemes completed but financial
liabilities to be cleared, 2 Nos. of schemes on the verge
of completion
|
105.00
(Upto March/2000)
|
|
2001-2002
|
1 No. of scheme physically completed
|
44.25
|
|
2002-2003
|
1 No. of on-going scheme on the verge of
completion
|
35.75
|
|
The New Schemes to be taken up by the Water Resources
Department, Assam are shown in Table 8.8
TABLE – 8.8
NEW SCHEMES TO BE TAKEN UP DURING 2003-2004
|
Plan
|
Nos. of schemes
|
Total amount (Rs in lakh)
|
Target of Achievement
|
|
Physical (%)
|
Financial
(Rs in lakh)
|
|
State (General Area)
|
13
|
371.84
|
20
|
4.60
|
|
CSS
|
31
|
14411.63
|
35
|
5254.00
|
|
|
Source: Table 8.3 to 8.8 – Water Resources Department,
Assam
|
The Department also completed 92 Nos. of Flood Damage Repair (FDR) Schemes
in different Districts during the year 2002-2003 and the amount involved
for the same was Rs 2760.85 lakh.
By, adopting short-term measures, the State Water Resources
Department has protected 16.18 lakh hectares of land from flood and
erosion out of 31.60 lakh hectares of flood prone areas. For effective
management of flood and erosion in the valley, long term measures in
the form of storage reservoir in the upper catchments areas of the river
basin and watershed management are considered very essential.
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