Flood Mitigation & Disaster Management

A flood is an overflowing of a large amount of water beyond its normal confines, especially over what is dry land. Floods can develop in many ways. The most common is when rivers or streams overflow their banks. These floods are called riverine floods. Heavy rain, a broken dam or levee, rapid icemelt in the mountains, or even a beaver dam in a vulnerable spot can overwhelm a river and send it spreading over nearby land. The land surrounding a river is called a floodplain.

Floods can also have artificial sources. Many man-made floods are intentional and controlled.

Rice farmers, for instance, rely on flooded fields. Rice is a semi-aquatic crop—it grows in water. After rice seedlings are planted, farmers flood their fields, called rice paddies, in about 15 to 25 centimeters (six to 10 inches) of water. Rice paddies must be carefully engineered to allow controlled flooding. Strong dikes or levees, as well as regulated channels for irrigation, are required.

Prevention:-

1. During Floods-

• Communication Restoration

• Evacuation by Disaster relief funds (DRF) and SDRF

• Relief Measures like- Tenting, Food, and water

• Medical Aid like not only providing Medicines but also psychological support.

• Roping of civil society.

2. Long-Term-

• Micro zonation

• Land use management- Sustainable Infrastructure, Wetlands, Floodplains & Agriculture

• Dam Management

• Sponge Cities- Perovious flowing facilities of water in these cities by constructing rivers, dams, ponds, and more of a blue& Green City Initiative

• River Interlinking

• De-silting.

Measures taken to prevent floods:-

1. Flood plain zoning

2. Flood forecasting and warning systems

3. Infrastructure development

4. Drainage systems

5. Land-use planning

6. Flood plain management

7. Indian Meteorological Development (IMD) using this to predict the forecast and plan.

8. Emergency Response planning

9. Public Awareness and education

10. Adapting to changing climatic conditions.

A Disaster is a serious problem occurring over a short or long period that causes widespread human, material, economic or environmental loss which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its resources. It is an event whose timing is unexpected and whose consequences are seriously very destructive.

Major causes of floods are Massive Rainfall, Drainage systems, and the effective infrastructure design aid during heavy rains, overflowing of rivers, collapsed dams, snowmelt, deforestation, climate change, and emissions of greenhouse gases.

Measures to avoid flooding situations: Introducing better flood warning systems, Constructing buildings above flood levels, Tackling climate change, and Increasing spending on flood defenses.

National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)

NDMA is a central government apex with a mandate to lay down its policies for disaster management. NDMA was established through the disaster management act enacted by the government of India on 23rd December 2005.

Its main functions and responsibilities are to lay down policies on disaster management it also lays down guidelines to be followed by the state authority in drawing up the state plan. The Disaster Management Division is the nodal division in the Division Ministry of Home Affairs for disaster management.

This is a nationwide authority mainly set up for all the after-effects and even the preparation to prevent disasters of any kind. This also holds to raise funds as compensation to the person's family who has got affected by the disaster. It has guidelines, on temporary shelters for disaster-affected families, Guidelines, on disabilities-inclusive disaster risk reduction, and even in prevention and management.

A Blog by Jitisha .S. Hiremath