FOR THE SESSION ON “ESTIMATION

OF
MAXIMUM FLOOD DISCHARGE”
BY
G.SURENDER, B.E.(Civil);M.Tech.(WRE),
EXECUTIVE ENGINEER(H) &
SENIOR FACULTY MEMBER
WALAMTARI.

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EMPIRICAL FORMULAE

DICKENS FORMULA
Q = CA 3/4 where
‘A’ : Catchment area in Sq.km.
‘C’ : 11.4 for North Indian basins
: 13.9 to 19.5 for Central Indian basins
: 22.2 to 25.0 for the catchments in Western Ghats
‘Q’ : Max flood discharge in Cumecs

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RYVES FORMULA (Madras State & South
India)
Q = CA 2/3 where
A: Catchment area in Sq.km
C: 6.75 Areas within 24 kms from the coast
: 8.45 area within 24 to 116 km from the coast
: 10.00 Limited areas near hills
Q : Max flood peak, cumcs

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INGLIS Formula (Maharashtra State)
123 A
Q= ------------ where
A + 10.4
A: Catchment area in Sq. km
Q: Max. flood discharge in cumecs

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NAWAB ALI NAWAZ JUNG BAHADUR
FORMULA (Old Hyderabad State)
Q = CA(0.993 – 1/14 log A)
Where
A: Area of catchment in Sq.km.
C: 48 to 60
Q : Max. flood discharge in cumecs

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Step I

From the catchment area map (SI

sheet) (1:50,000 scale,) arrive the
following .
The catchment area ‘A’ sq.km
Length of the streams ‘L’ km
width of the catchment ‘W’ km
Then work out L/W
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Step II Choosing run-off curve
Table of run-off curve number for Hydrologic soil
groups

Land use Run-off curve number

Red soils Black
soils
Cultivated crops 75 85
Cultivated paddy 95 95
Forests/Gardens 50 70
Waste lands 80 90

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Step III
One day max. rainfall ‘P’ mm (In a
frequency period of 25 years) with
the already arrived curve number
(from Step II) and the rain fall ‘P’
the direct run-off ‘Q’ in mm is read
from the graph I (red soils) and II
(black soils)
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Step IV: Time to reach peak ‘Tp’ hr

When L/W >4:1 Tp = 0.76 A0.28

L/W < 4:1 Tp = 0.48 A0.28

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Step V: Max. discharge ‘q’ cumecs

0.146xAxQ
q = ---------------
Tp

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 Thank you

Keep in touch:
G.Surender,
Executive Engineer(H) &
Senior Faculty Member,
WALAMTARI ,
Himayathsagar,
Hyderabad- 500 030(TS)
ghantasurender@gmail.com
+91 9866661315
www.tswalamtari.org