THE UNIVERSITY OF BURDWAN

B.A SEMESTER VI HONOURS CBCS EXAMINATION, 2021

PAPER: CC14 (PRACTICAL) DISASTER MANAGEMENT

TITLE: A THEORETICAL CASE STUDY OF IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND

MANAGEMENT OF FLOOD: WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO KOSI RIVER
FLOOD IN BIHAR- 2008

ROLL NO. : 180140600048

REGISTRATION NO. : 201801044457 of 2018-19
 HOOGHLY WOMEN’S COLLEGE
[Govt. Sponsored]
P.O. & Dt. Hooghly, PIN-712103, W.B.
[Accredited “B++” by NAAC, Bangalore]

CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that Diyasha Ganguly bearing Roll No. 180140600048 has

successfully completed her project Report on Disaster Management as per the

syllabus of CBCS Semester –VI [Hons] CC14 of The University of Burdwan,

under our supervision.

Signature of Supervisor
 KOSI “THE SORROW OF BIHAR”

A THEORETICAL CASE STUDY

OF

IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF FLOOD: WITH

SPECIAL REFERENCE TO

KOSI RIVER FLOOD IN BIHAR- 2008

Project Report Submitted

For partial fulfillment of the B.A. Geography (Hons.) Semester VI CC 14

Syllabus of

The University of Burdwan 2021

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I take this opportunity to express my deep sense of gratitude to my teachers

Dr.Syamalina Goswami, Dr.Soumita Ghosh, Dr.Tanmoy Dhibor, Dr.Sujata Das,

Dr.Shyamapada Santra, department of Geography, Hooghly Women’s College, Hooghly for

their valuable guidance, continuous encouragement, critical suggestion and supervision to

complete the project work.

Lastly, I would like to pay my gratitude to my classmates and parents for supporting me
throughout the project report.

Date: 25.05.2021 Signature of Student

 PREFACE
Bihar is highly vulnerable to floods on account of its geo-climatic conditions and various
other attributing factors. It is the most flood prone state and accounts for a large percentage of
land which is susceptible to flooding. The total flood prone area of the state is about 68.80
lakh hectares which accounts for 73.06 percent of its total geographical area and 17.2 percent
of the total flood prone area in the country. The state has witnessed devastating floods in
recent years. In fact, South West Monsoon rain has become a synonym of floods in North
Bihar plains resulting in enormous loss of life and property and bringing untold miseries and
sufferings to the people.

The massive Kosi River floods of August 2008 caused unprecedented loss to lives,
livelihoods, infrastructure and property in north-eastern Bihar. Although floods have been a
recurring feature in many parts of the state, 2008 floods were not usual. The Kosi burst its
embankments and changed course, inundating areas of Bihar that had not experienced such
flooding for half a century. About 1,000 villages in five districts (Araria, Madhepura, Purnia,
Saharsa and Supaul) were affected, involving three million people, of whom about one
million were evacuated. This was again repeated in August and simultaneously, heavy rainfall
in the upper catchments areas of Nepal compounded the problem.

.
 CONTENTS

CHAPTER CONTENT PAGE NO.

1 Introduction 1-3
2 Literature Review 4
3 Aims And Objectives 5
4 Study Area And Methodology 6-9
5 Results and Discussions 10-15
6 Preparedness, Mitigation and Management 16-18
7 Conclusion 19
References 20

LIST OF TABLE
FIGURE NO. TITLE PAGE NO.
3 DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF 8
BIHAR (CENSUS OF INDIA), INDIA 2001
6 MONTHLY/MONSOON RAINFALL(mm) 11
OBSERVED IN THE RIVER BASINS OF
BIHAR(2008)

LIST OF MAPS AND DIAGRAMS

FIGURE NO. TITLE PAGE NO.
1 Location Map 6
2 Map Showing the Floods 7
Zones of Bihar
4 . Flow Chart Showing the 9
Year Wise Impact of Flood In
Bihar
5 Flood Affected Districts Of 10
Bihar
7 Satellite Images showing the 14
flood affected districts of
Bihar

LIST OF IMAGE/PHOTOGRAPH
FIGURE NO. TITLE PAGE NO.
8 The scenario of Kosi River 14
Flood (Bihar 2008)
 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

❖ DEFINITION OF DISASTER: A disaster is a serious disruption occurring over a short or long

period of time that causes widespread human, material, economic or environmental loss which
exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own
resources. Developing countries suffer the greatest costs when a disaster hits – more than 95% of
all deaths caused by hazards occur in developing countries, and losses due to natural hazards are
20 times greater (as a percentage of GDP) in developing countries than in industrialized countries.

“A disaster is an occurrence disrupting the normal conditions of existence and causing a level of
suffering that exceeds the capacity of adjustment of the affected community.”(According to W.H.O)

❖ DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HAZARD AND DISASTER :

.

HAZARD DISASTER

A Hazard is a situation where there is a A disaster is an event that completely

threat to life, health, environment, or disrupts the actual ways of a community.
property. It brings on human, economical and
environmental losses to the community.

Hazards occur at the place where there is Disasters mainly occur in over populated
less population. areas.

Hazard is caused by negligence. Disaster is a result of differential

behavior of nature due to many
conditions.

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❖ DISASTER MANAGEMENT :
Disaster Management refers to the measures taken for the safety and protection of life and
property from natural or manmade disasters. This means being prepared in fighting disasters
effectively, ensuring the safety of life and helping in rebuilding society after a disaster.
Disaster Management is implementing measures such as-
1. Preparedness
2. Response
3. Recovery
4. Mitigation
1. PREPAREDNESS:
Disaster preparedness refers to measures taken to prepare for and reduce the effects
of disasters. That is, to predict and, where possible, prevent disasters, mitigate their impact on
vulnerable populations, and respond to and effectively cope with their consequences.
2. RESPONSE:
The two key features in understanding how Bihar responded to are: firstly, the administration’s
unifying role even while it decentralized the resources and duties down to the districts and even
local body. Secondly, people united to organize rescue and relief work, led by all kinds of people’s
organizations and self help groups.
3. RECOVERY:
Being instructed by ISRO, the Cabinet Secretary senior officers of Defense Services, NDRF,
NDMA and Secretaries of Civilian Ministries conducted meetings with Bihar Chief Secretary.
Following the decisions taken during these meetings, the Centre launched massive rescue and
relief operations. It was one of the largest rescue operations 40 helicopters, 31 aircraft, 182 teams
for rescue, 18 medical teams of defense forces, 90 teams of NDRF and 3 companies of Central
Armed Police forces were pressed into service along with over 500 boats and necessary rescue
equipment’s.
4. MITIGATION:
Mitigation is the effort to reduce loss of life by lessening the impact of the disaster. It reduces
human and financial loss. It is important to know that disaster can happen at any time and any
place and if we are prepared consequences can be tackled.
WHY I CHOOSE THE TOPIC: FLOOD
I choose the topic (Kosi River Flood in Bihar-2008; A theoretical case study of it’s impact
assessment and management) because it reviews the natural, economic and social disasters that
have plagued the region creating public awareness about the environment through reviewing the

2
disaster. To create an idea of what steps have been taken to rebuild the region after the disaster.
Taking the right steps can prevent such a catastrophe from happening later.
DEFINITION OF FLOOD
Flood is one of the most common natural hazards, which is a natural phenomenon of an extreme
nature, often violent, occurring irregularly. In accordance with art.16 section 43 of the ‘Water Law
of July 2017’ flood is defined as “A temporary coverage with water of an area not normally
covered by water, in particular, caused by high water in natural watercourses, reservoirs,
onshore canals, excluding coverage of an area with water caused by high water in sewage
system”.
TYPES OF FLOOD
Floods can be described according to speed (flash flood), geography or cause of flooding. Several
types of flooding will be described below:
Flash floods: These occur after local rainfall with a high intensity, which leads to a quick raise of
water levels causing a threat to the lives of the inhabitants. The time available to predict flash
floods in advance is limited. Severe rainfall on the flood location may be used as an indicator for
this type of flood. It generally occurs in mountainous areas.
Coastal floods (or storm surges): These occur along the coasts of seas and big lakes. Wind
storms (for example hurricane or cyclone) and low atmospheric pressure cause the set-up of water
levels on the coast. When this situation coincides with astronomical high tide at the coast, this can
lead to (extreme) high water levels and flooding of the coastal area.
River Floods(Fluvial floods): These are characterized by the gradual riverbank, lake or stream
overflow caused by extensive rainfall or snowmelt over an extended period of time. The areas
covered by river floods depend on the size of the river and the amount of rainfall. River floods
rarely result in loss of lives but can cause dams and dikes to break, creating immense economic
damage.
Urban Floods: These types of floods occur when the drainage system in a city or town fails to
absorb the water from heavy rain. The lack of natural drainage in an urban area can also contribute
to flooding. Water flows out into the street, making driving through it very dangerous.
Pluvial Floods: Forms in flat areas where the terrain can’t absorb the rainwater, causing puddles
and ponds to appear. Pluvial flooding is like urban flooding, only that it occurs mostly in rural
areas. The agricultural activities and properties in areas where pluvial floods have occurred can be
seriously affected.

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 CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

The Kosi river in North Bihar is one of the major tributaries to the Ganga river. It is responsible for the
most devastating flood in the region of Bihar and Nepal. During the last thirty years these regions have
experienced the highest number of flood incidences (Kale, 1997), the plain experiences extensive loss of
life and property. This is attributed by short-term changes in sedimentation load and water volume and
long-term changes in climate. The dynamism of the Kosi River attributed to the westward movement of
150 km in the last 200 years. On August 18, 2008, the Kusaha breach was totally unexpected and
followed by an abusive shift of ~120 km towards the east with an order magnitude higher than any other
abusive shift in historical times. This results in the inundation of a very large area and the new channels
formed which follow the new course and did not join the main Kosi river. In the same way, the
geomorphology along with the other influential parameters helps to study the flood risk analysis for the
Kosi which will help in the timely availability of information for taking decisions and actions (Miranda
et.al., 1988) for reducing the loss of lives, properties and resources. It has therefore become important to
create an easily readable and rapidly accessible flood hazard map, which will prioritize the mitigation
effects. Several approaches were considered to study the associated risk of the river in the different parts
of the world with the use of different mediums to define it. The current flood mapping approaches include
a combination of the geomorphological, hydraulic, hydrology, meteorological, socio economic factors,
with aid of Remote Sensing and GIS environment and their combinations, some of which has been
discussed with their case studies.

1. Kumar,S., Sahdeo,A., & Guleria,S.,(2013): Bihar Flood:2007(A Field Report) of National

Institute of Disaster Management, Ministry of Home Affairs, New Delhi.
2. Government of Bihar.,(2010): Needs Assessment Report, World Bank, Global Facility for
Disaster Reduction And Recovery
3. Das, K. C., & Saha, S. (2006): This study represents Inter-state migration and regional
disparities in India.
4. Datta, A., & Mishra, S. K. (2011): Glimpses of women`s lives in rural Bihar: impact of male
migration.

4
 CHAPTER 3

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

1. To make use of the best available data in order to identify the location and potential impacts that
natural disasters as Bihar Flood 2008 can have on people, property, and the natural environment.

2. To improve the system of warning and emergency communication.

3. To provide support for the public authorities and government institutions for these flood mitigation
efforts including planning and action coordination.

4. To inform the public on the risk exposure to this devastating flood and how they can prepare,
respond, recover and mitigate the impact of such events.

5. To analyse the impact of socio economic conditions of the affected people.

6. To analyse flood impact on the social aspect of victims and flood prone areas.

7. To understand the economic analysis of floods and natural calamities.

8. To analyse relief funds from the government.

9. To focus on developing a collaborative platform that will link citizens, public authorities and other
stack holders and on enabling to be warned so that actions can be taken to reduce the adverse effects
of the severe flood.

With the above mentioned objectives, the dissertation will offer me an opportunity for collective
problem solving, knowledge sharing, social exchange at the local and global scale. This will lead to an
insight into the information and preparedness requirements of local communities and the development
of solutions adapted to the social realities.

5
 CHAPTER 4

STUDY AREA AND METHODOLOGY

▪ STUDY AREA
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the third-largest state by population and the twelfth-
largest by territory, with an area of 94,163 km2 (36,357 sq mi). It is contiguous with Uttar
Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West Bengal to the east, and
Jharkhand to the south. The Bihar plain is split by the river Ganges, which flows from west to
east. The Ganges flows west-east and, along with its tributaries, regularly floods parts of the
Bihar plain. The main northern tributaries are the Gandak and Kosi, which originate in the
Nepalese Himalayas, and the Bagmati, which originates in the Kathmandu Valley.

Fig.1 LOCATION MAP

● PHYSIOGRAPHY OF STUDY AREA

1. Bihar on account of its location coupled with hydrometeorology, hydrology, geomorphology
and topography is one of the worst flood affected regions in the world. It lies between the
tropical and subtropical region and has a monsoon climate with an average annual rainfall of
1200 mm. The river Ganga is considered the lifeline of Bihar, which enters the State from the
west and flows towards the east. A large number of rivers join the Ganga from the north and
south. Ghaghara, Gandak and Kosi are the main tributaries of the Ganga. Kosi, called “the
sorrow of Bihar”, is the widest river and frequently changes its course causing devastation.
The Sone, Punpun, Mohane and Gumani rivers are the right bank tributaries of the Ganga.
6
2. The Ganga flowing from west to east bisects the State into two parts. The alluvial plains, north
of Ganga are drained by the Ghagra, the Gandak, the Burhi Gandak, the Bagmati, the Adhwara
group of rivers, the Kamla, the Kosi and the Mahananda which are the tributaries of the Ganga
which acts as the master drain. However, floods in North Bihar are not independent physical
events. Instead, these are a cycle of inter-dependent natural events and processes such as year
round rain wash of mountains resulting in the spread of sediment in the lower reaches by river
spills, groundwater situation, storages in water bodies, surface detentions, water logging
drainage deforestation, concentrated rainfall, etc. The map shows the flood zones in Bihar and
suggests that an extensive area of Bihar vulnerable to the havoc of floods, and unfortunately
this is cyclic. The floods in Bihar are not new natural phenomena. North Bihar plains have
been facing severe flooding of varying intensities through the ages.

Fig 2. MAP SHOWING THE

FLOODS ZONES OF BIHAR

3. Bihar has three distinct seasons- winter from October to February, summer from March to mid
–June and the monsoon from mid-June to September. Hot westerly winds begin in March and
last until May. The temperature begins to rise in March, and the months of April and May are
characterized by great heat and dryness. The monsoon sets in by around the middle of June,
bringing in its wake a quick fall in the temperature and widespread rains ending in September.
The State receives most of its rainfall from south West monsoon from June to September. The
average rainfall is 1200 mm and ranges from 1000 mm to 2000 mm. this coupled with water
brought by the river originating from Nepal result in flooding of the Bihar plains.

7
● DEMOGRAPHY OF STUDY AREA
1. As per the 2001 census, Bihar with an area of 94,163 sq kms approximately, had a population of
8,28,78,796 persons. Till 1991 Census, the composite state of Bihar was the second most populous
state in the country (containing slightly more than 10% of the country's population), next only to
Uttar Pradesh. However, after the bifurcation of the state of Bihar and creation of the new State of
Jharkhand, the rank of Bihar among the States of India has slipped down to third, the States of
Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra occupying the first and the second position respectively. The total
number of literate persons in Bihar as per 2001 Census is 31675607. Males greatly outnumber
females. Among the total literates 20978955 are males and 10696652 females, that is to say, for
every 2 literate males there is only 1 literate female. The male literacy rate is almost double
(60.32) the female literacy rate (33.57) in the State according to Census of India 2001.
Characteristics India Bihar

Population (2001)- Total 1,027,015,247 82,878,796

Rural 741,660,293 74,199,596

Urban 285,354,954 8,679,200

Percentage Decadal Growth Rate 21.34 28.43

Literacy Rate Persons 65.3 47.5

Male 75.8 60.3

Female 54.1 33.5

Fig.3 DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF BIHAR (CENSUS OF INDIA), INDIA 2001

1. The population density is much higher in Bihar than in India as a whole (497 compared with
273 persons per sq km). Further Bihar has been undergoing a slow process of urbanization.
The level of urbanization in Bihar (13 percent) is much lower than for India as a whole (26
percent). The sex ratio in Bihar is also lower than in India as a whole.
VULNERABILITY OF BIHAR TO FLOOD
After the bifurcation of the State, Bihar has become the most flood prone area in the country in
terms of the percentage of land susceptible to flooding. The total flood prone area of the State
is 68.80 lakh hectares which accounts for 73.06 percent of its total geographical area and 17.2
percent of the total flood prone area in the country. Flood proneness is most severe in the
northern plains of Bihar. This is because almost all the major rivers in the State enter Bihar
8
 from Nepal. Bed slope of these rivers is very sharp in Nepal and they usually enter the State
on plain lands. Due to a sudden drop in bed slope, silt brought by the flow of these rivers gets
deposited at their base and that is the major reason for flood at the Bihar Plain.

Fig 4. FLOW CHART SHOWING THE YEAR WISE IMPACT OF FLOOD IN BIHAR

METHODOLOGY:

The methodology is categorized into two types of databases that fulfill the aims and objectives of the
study. The two types of databases are:

1. Primary Data

2. Secondary Data

In the dissertation, though the topic requires primary data, I was unable to go to this place for data
collection. So I submitted my dissertation copy based on secondary data which I have collected
from articles, journals and newspapers.

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 CHAPTER 5

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

KOSI FLOOD 2008

The Kosi River is known as the "Sorrow of Bihar" as the annual floods affect about
21,000 km2 (8,100 sq mi) of fertile agricultural lands thereby disturbing the rural economy. On 18
August 2008, the Kosi River burst through its eastern embankment about 13 km upstream of the Kosi
Barrage in Nepal, 8 km north of the Indian border. At its peak, the intensity of water force went up to
166,000 cubic feet per second (cusec) compared with the regular 25,744 cusecs, running straight
down south through a new course 15-20 km wide and 150 long north to south. This created major
flooding in Nepal and India - Bihar in particular. According to official figures, a total of 3.3 million
people were affected in Bihar. Bihar is divided into 38 districts, of which five districts, namely
Supaul, Saharsa, Madhepura, Araria and Purnia, were severely affected by the flood. These districts
make up 12 percent of Bihar’s landmass.

Fig.5 FLOOD AFFECTED DISTRICTS OF BIHAR

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GENESIS OF FLOOD 2008

The massive Kosi floods of 18 August 2008, caused by an extensive breach in the Kosi River, resulted
in an unprecedented loss of lives, livelihoods, infrastructure and property in north-eastern Bihar.
Although floods have been a recurring feature in Bihar, these floods were not usual. The Kosi River,
coming from Nepal in the north, burst its embankments, causing the river to change course, affecting
areas of Bihar that had not experienced such floods for at least half a century. The floods caused
widespread devastation and displaced more than 1 million people, in the five districts of Supaul,
Madhepura, Araria, Saharsa and Purnia, with the first three districts being most severely affected.
Overall, about three million people in 1,000 villages of 35 blocks were affected. Provision of relief for
flood victims has been satisfactory, including the setting up of relief camps primarily by the
Government; however, apart from the loss of shelter and property, the floods also have long term
implications for the affected villages and the fear that vast areas of agricultural land may become
infertile for years.

Fig.6 MONTHLY/MONSOON RAINFALL (mm) OBSERVED IN THE RIVER BASINS OF BIHAR (2008)

11
IMPACTS OF KOSI RIVER FLOOD 2008

According to the media report, nearly 3 million people got affected during the 2008 floods which are
considered as one of the worst floods in Bihar in a decade. The flood during the year showed no signs
of abating and prolonged for a considerable long time. As per State Government, 434 persons lost
their lives in the floods. Bihar is divided into 38 districts, of which five districts, namely Supaul,
Saharsa Madhepura, Araria and Purnia, were severely affected by the flood. These districts make
up 12 percent of Bihar’s landmass. They had not experienced significant flooding since the
completion of the barrage and afflux embankments in 1963, with consequent lack of preparedness.
The total population in the 5 main affected districts is estimated to be 9.4 million, of which 32 percent
(3 million) were affected by the floods.3 A total area of close to 3700 sq. km was inundated, affecting
412 Panchayats and 993 villages. Approximately 493 lives were lost and 3,500 were reported missing
after the disaster. The flood triggered one of the largest evacuation operations with over 1 million
people evacuated, and about 460,000 people accommodated in 360 relief camps.

THE DAMAGE

Apart from causing the death of 434 human lives, the floods caused extensive damages to agricultural
crop human habitation and the infrastructure sector. Some of these are summarized below:

HOUSING: Four types of houses existed in the disaster-affected areas: (i) huts (thatch and bamboo
structures that can be re-erected); (ii) kuccha structures (non-engineered house made of mud, grass,
bamboo, thatch or sticks); (iii) semi-pukka structures (a more robust type of house which is a mix
between a kuccha structure and pukka); and, (iv) pukka structures (engineered house made of
materials resistant to wear such as stone, brick, clay tiles, metal). According to the 2007-08 District-
Level Household Survey, only a small fraction of the population in the affected districts resided in
“pukka” houses. The GoB estimates that a total of 236,632 houses were either fully or partially
damaged across the five affected districts. Of this number, 157,428 houses (67 percent) were
completely destroyed, and another 85,355 were partially damaged. Most of the damage to houses was
concentrated in the districts of Supaul, Madhepura, and Saharsa which sustained over 95 percent of
the damage in the housing sector.

ROADS AND BRIDGES: A large number of roads and bridges were damaged by the floods. The
embankment breach caused the following: (i) formation of new streams where no cross drainage
works existed; and, (ii) flows in excess of design discharge of existing cross drainages structures
resulting in the collapse of bridges and culverts and severe damage to roads. A total of 1,830 km (78.9
percent) of roads in the five affected districts were either fully or partially damaged. Of this, a total of

12
approximately 1,357 km (58.5 percent) were fully destroyed. In addition, a total of close to 1,100
bridges and culverts were damaged or destroyed.

WATER RESOURCES: The floods severely damaged the Eastern Kosi Main Canal and secondary
and tertiary irrigation infrastructure in the Kosi Irrigation Command Area. A total of 6.32 km of the
main Eastern Kosi Canal was fully damaged, 3 km of the branch canal was also fully damaged and 1
km was partially damaged. 158 km of the distributaries and sub distributaries/minor canals were fully
damaged and 4 km partially damaged. 730 km of the watercourses, 151 canal bridges and 138
regulators were fully damage.

AGRICULTURE (CROPS, LIVESTOCK): The floods caused significant damage in the agriculture
sector with damage to standing crops and sand casting of cultivable land. GoB has estimated that
350,000 acres of paddy, 18,000 acres of maize, and 240,000 acres of other crops were adversely
affected, impacting close to 500,000 farmers.

The floods also affected livestock with GoB reporting 10,000 milk animals, 3000 draught animals,
and 2500 small ruminants (e.g. goats and sheep) perishing in the floods. The substantial increase in
the price of milk is a direct effect of the drop in supply.

In terms of fisheries, GoB has reported that 519 private and public fish ponds were fully or partially
damaged.

EDUCATION: Educational infrastructure and scholastic calendars were affected in all five districts,
mostly in Madhepura and Supaul. The schools in the path of the new river course got completely
washed away. About 1428 (19 percent) of total schools in the affected districts were fully or partially
damaged. GoB has reported 173 government schools as fully damaged, 481 as partly damaged, and
774 with minor damages. More extensive damage has occurred to elementary and secondary schools
than to higher and technical education institutions. Private schools are excluded from these damage
estimates.

HEALTH: The affected districts have inadequate health infrastructure in comparison to Bihar state
averages, with the primary health care (PHC) availability ratio at 0.65 per 30,000 persons. Total health
facilities coverage per 100,000 persons in the affected districts is between 9 and 11 while the state
average is 11 per 100,000. Already stretched health infrastructure and regular curative and preventive
health services were disrupted by the floods. Supaul, Madhepura and Saharsa were the most severely
affected. The floods jeopardized the health of affected people through food shortages, depleted
purchasing power, and the spread of water-borne or food deficiency-related diseases. GoB reports
state that 11 pregnant mothers perished due to the lack of emergency health facilities.

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 Fig.7 Satellite Images showing the flood affected districts of Bihar

Source: National Remote Sensing Centre(NRSC) & Indian Space research Organization(ISRO)

Fig.8 The Scenario of Kosi River Flood (Bihar

2008) Source: Google Image

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RELIEF AND RESPONSE:

The floods of 2008 were indeed devastating as they badly affected 20 districts. About 20.5 million
people, or approximately 5-6 million families, in these districts, were badly affected. The poor people
in particular whose thatched and mud houses, usually located in the low-lying areas of the villages,
were the most affected as their dwelling units got almost demolished.

Air force Choppers and Army Boats: A number of critical areas, that were difficult to reach by
boats, were served by dropping off of food packets with the help of four Air Force choppers for about
nineteen days, dropping about 71,000 food packets, weighing in total 355 tones. Twenty (20) army
boats had been pressed into action in 3 districts to ensure the distribution of relief materials to the
marooned villages.

Dry Rations: About 10,559 quintals of dry ration food (chura, sattu, jaggery, salt, etc.) were
distributed. In many places, people were additionally being provided with cooked food as well. Along
with the dry ration, about 2,00,000 pieces of candle and 150334 matches had also been distributed.

Cash: Rs. 32.31 core was distributed in cash till the compilation of this report.

Polythene Sheets: About 2,36,000 polythene sheets had been distributed. Additional 1 lakh polythene
sheets were supplied to help in setting up a temporary shelter.

Drinking Water: 126 tube wells had been dug on embankments and other places of temporary shelter
to people. Help was even sought from the GE water infrastructure, which provided with their gen-set
operated water purifier machines, having a capacity of purifying 1500 litters of water per hour.

Housing: This was the second biggest need of the poor, who suffer the most on this count. Rs. 10,000
for fully damaged kuccha houses, and other related norms under the CRF would allow in mitigating
this problem to an extent. However, the State government proposed that these houses be redone with
pukka construction using Indira Aaawas scheme for natural calamity victims. The survey of destroyed
and damaged houses had already begun till the compilation of this report.

Health: Experiences abound that in the aftermath of a massive flood, peoples’ sufferings can increase
manifold. Health Department was actively working on this, by ensuring a wide-scale campaign for
disinfection. Treatment and provisions of medicines for diseases likely to occur, diarrhea, skin
infections, etc. were made by the Government. UNICEF was also supplementing the efforts of the
State Government.

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 CHAPTER 6

PREPAREDNESS, MITIGATION, AND MANAGEMENT

● PREPAREDNESS:

Disaster preparedness refers to measures taken to prepare for and reduce the effects of disasters. In
devastating floods administration and Govt. should take some preparedness which helped them from
severe loss of life, property and natural calamity. This preparedness helps to survive local people and
the geographical condition of the area. Disaster preparedness refers to measures taken to prepare for
and reduce the effects of disasters, so, here I discuss the preparedness of the Kosi flood of Bihar 2008.

1. Mapping preparedness: First, a flood area map was drawn which helped to identify the vulnerable
areas. Identify the vulnerable persons who were close to the vulnerable area.

2. Household preparedness: Family preparedness has been researched and measured through
different types of activities, such as survival measures, mitigation measures and planning measures.
Family planning measures in the face of natural hazards are those which are adopted least frequently,
but whose importance is highly recognized among individuals. Family preparedness is recognized as
the base from which other preparation actions take place.

3. Early warning: Early warning systems have limitations in terms of saving lives if they are not
combined with ―people centered networks. To be effective, early warning systems must be
understandable, trusted by and relevant to the communities that they serve. Warnings will have little
value unless they reach the people most at risk, who need to be trained to respond appropriately to an
approaching hazard. The International Federation, therefore, gives its full support to the development
of the warning system.

4. Mitigation preparedness: Installation of community based early warning system for issuance of
timely and effective flood warning. Prepare an evacuation center for vulnerable persons.

● MITIGATION:

Disaster mitigation can be defined in several ways, for instance as taking measures in advance of a
hazardous event (emergency or disaster) that are aimed at preventing disasters from occurring or
(more commonly) reducing the adverse effects of disasters on society and the environment. This can
be achieved by reducing the vulnerability of communities to the hazard, or by changing the
environment in which hazards and communities interact. In this devastating flood Bihar Govt. took a
mitigation strategy. The way of mitigation strategy was divided into two types. These were-

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(a). Structural mitigation strategies.

(b). Non-structural mitigation strategy.

(a) STRUCTURAL MITIGATION STRATEGY:

1. In this mitigation strategy administrative body looked at physical structures were constructed or
modified to reduce the impact of flooding on individual properties.

2. Flood walls are constructed out of materials such as concrete or steel in order to control the flow of
floodwaters and prevent flooding of specific areas.

3. Notice the dam construction because the dam can produce hydroelectricity as well as regulate water
levels by opening and closing the retained doors.

(b) NON - STRUCTURAL MITIGATION STRATEGY:

1. Local municipalities can institute zoning laws in their comprehensive plans in order to prevent the
development of residential and commercial properties in high-risk flood prone areas. This planning
further restricts where buildings can be constructed as well as these buildings must be floodproof.

2. By using flood forecasting and warning methods local officials can determine whether or not a river
or creek will flood based on the level of the water.

3. Preparing and disseminating guidelines for natural hazards, and raising awareness among the local
administration bodies and local people.

● MANAGEMENT OF KOSI FLOOD, BIHAR 2008 :

It may be pointed out that floods are natural phenomena and one cannot entirely get rid of them but
their impact can be minimized by man’s technology skill, better warning system and positive human
response of flood warning and various control measures adopted by governments.

Agriculture: The Flood in 2008 has had an all-around serious adverse impact in the agriculture sector
of Bihar, damaging Kharif crops extensively, as well as sugarcane plantations, and seeds for rabi. The
floods came at a time when the State was posing for a major jump in productivity, through higher
consumption of fertilizer and improved seed replacement ratio. That year’s flood has been more
devastating for agriculture because of its timing and duration, which coincided with transplantation
and establishment of paddy crop in the main field. A total of Rs. 362.33 crores were sought by the
State Government towards agriculture input subsidy. The State Government reported total damage of
Rs. 1136 cores in the agriculture sector on account of crop damage and rabi seed damage due to
floods. Department of Agriculture has assessed the following assistance under CRF on the available
figures of crop losses in area % where such losses are 50 % or more.
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Food Grain Support: As stated above, about 20.4 million people had been affected which would
roughly mean that 5-6 million families require relief support. Taking the higher figure of 6 million
families, 60 lakh quintals of wheat and rice were provided under the relief head to FCI. An assistance
of Rs. 945 crore to purchase the required 60 lakh quintals in total (in the ratio of 75% rice and 25%)
was made by the State.

Cash Support: Cash needs to be provided under the CRF at the rate of Rs. 20 per adult and Rs. 15
per child for meeting the needs of food for the affected people, who lost their food items etc., or were
unable to get it ready due to other hardships. 204 lakh persons have been reportedly affected until 28
August 2008 assuming a ratio of three adults and two children in the population, this cash need comes
to Rs. 1105 crores.

House Repair: Rural poor, mostly live in the kuchha houses in the comparatively low lying areas in
their villages, and bear the maximum brunt of floods by way of losing their homesteads. With that,
they also lose their household utensils, clothing, children's educational resources, and other
belongings. The State Government estimated that about 6.0 lakh houses had been destroyed. The CRF
norms provide Rs. 10,000 assistance for fully damaged Kuccha houses and Rs. 25,000 for pucca
houses. It is roughly estimated that of the estimated likely 6 lakh houses damaged, 20% of it will be
pucca houses. Thus, the assistance needed for such 1.2 lakh damaged pucca houses would be around
Rs. 300 crores. The rest 80%, i.e. 4.8 lakh kutcha houses, will require an assistance of Rs. 480 crores.
This will add up to Rs. 780 crores. However, in the case of particularly the kuchha houses, the
assistance of Rs. 10,000 per house will be both inadequate and also not provide a durable housing
solution to the poor. Since there is already a program running under the rural development ministry of
the GOI for providing Indira Awaas to the victims of natural calamities, it was considered to be of
great value if Rs. 25,000 per Indira Awaas unit is dovetail with Rs. 10,000 assistance under the CRF,
to make it possible to have a durable pucca construction of houses for the concerned flood-affected
rural poor.

Other Sectors: PHED assessed that damage to its rural piped water schemes, hand pumps, and other
related works would need the assistance of Rs. 63.44 crore. The Minor Irrigation Department assessed
damages to its lift irrigation and other surface water schemes, which play an important role in
augmenting the irrigation capacity of the State to the tune of Rs. 203.37crore.

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 CHAPTER 7

CONCLUSION

However, from the above discussion, it was cleared that heavy down pouring in Kosi flood in Bihar
during August 18th to 20th September had a widespread effect on the socio-economic lively hood of
the people in Bihar. It had affected the people in a different manner. Bihar received above-normal
rainfall in the monsoon season of 2018, which contributed to reservoir storage significantly. The
combination of above-normal seasonal rainfall, state-wide extreme rain, high reservoir storage, and
unprecedented extreme rain in the catchments upstream to major reservoirs might have played a
significant role in the large-scale flooding in Bihar. Seasonal and extended range forecast of rainfall
and improved forecast of extreme rain events can help in reservoir operations. Vast destruction caused
by the flood and related natural calamities during the monsoon seasons had a widespread effect but
the actual impact is not yet revealed. While analyzing the effects of natural calamities on different
socio-economic aspects of the people it is to be noticed that a permanent monitoring system was to be
implemented to detect disaster-prone geographical areas and rehabilitate the people from the risk
ridden to the safe place.

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 REFERENCES

1. Kumar,S., Sahdeo,A., &Guleria,S.,(2013). Bihar Flood:2007(A Field Report). National

Institute of Disaster Management, Ministry of Home Affairs, New Delhi.
2. Sharma,A.K.,(2009). Kosi Flood: 2008.United Nations Development Programme.
3. Government of Bihar.,(2010). Needs Assessment Report. World Bank, Global Facility for
Disaster Reduction And Recovery.
4. NRSC, ISRO,(2013). Flood Hazard Atlas: Bihar. National Disaster Management Authority,
Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. of India, Disaster Management Department, Govt. of Bihar,
Patna, &Bihar State Disaster Management Authority Govt. of Bihar, Patna.
5. Samaiyar, A. K., (2008). Bihar Flood Report 2007. Water Resource Department, Govt. of
Bihar.
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report_951911.html

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