Social Science Project

Project Report
On

Disaster Cause by Rain’s

(Floods)

Report submitted by:

Gouresh Prashant Parab
Std 10th div A
Roll no. 26
School name: Sharadashram Tantrik Vidyalaya
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

In the accomplishment of this project successfully, many people have best owned upon me their blessings,
this time I am utilizing to thank all the people who have been concerned with this project.
Primarily I would like to thank God for being able to complete this project with success, I would also like
to thank my principal and my teacher Mrs. _________ , whose valuable guidance has been the ones that
helped me to complete this project.
I would especially like to thank my parents for their suggestions and instructions which acted as a major
contributor at various stages of completion of the project.
WHAT IS DISASTER

A disaster is a serious disruption, occurring over a relatively short time, of the functioning of a
community or a society involving widespread human, material, economic or environmental loss
and impacts, which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own
resources.
A disaster occurs when a hazard impacts on vulnerable people. The combination of hazards,
vulnerability and inability to reduce the potential negative consequences of risk results in
disaster".
In contemporary academia, disasters are seen as the consequence of inappropriately
managed risk. These risks are the product of a combination of both hazards and vulnerability.
Hazards that strike in areas with low vulnerability will never become disasters, as in the case of
uninhabited regions.

NATURAL
DISASTER
MAN MADE

NATURAL DISASTER
A natural disaster is a major adverse event resulting from natural processes of the Earth;
examples include firestorms, dust storms, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions,
earthquakes, tsunamis, storms, and other geologic processes. A natural disaster can cause
loss of life or damage property, and typically leaves some economic damage in its wake. The
severity of the damage depends on the affected population's resilience and on the infrastructure
available.

MAN MADE DISASTER

Manmade disasters are hazards caused by human action or inaction. They are contrasted with
natural hazards. Manmade disasters may adversely affect humans, other organisms and
ecosystems. The frequency and severity of hazards are key elements in some risk analysis
methodologies.
FLOOD
A flood is an overflow of water (or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually
dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide.
Flooding may occur as an overflow of water from water bodies, such as a river, lake, or ocean,
in which the water overtops or breaks levees, resulting in some of that water escaping its usual
boundaries, or it may occur due to an accumulation of rainwater on saturated ground in an areal
flood.

Floods often cause damage to homes and businesses if they are in the natural flood
plains of rivers. While riverine flood damage can be eliminated by moving away from rivers and
other bodies of water.
Some floods develop slowly, while others such as flash floods, can develop in just a few minutes
and without visible signs of rain. Additionally, floods can be local, impacting a neighborhood or
community, or very large, affecting entire river basins.
The word "flood" comes from the Old English flōd, a word common to Germanic languages
(compare German Flut, Dutch vloed from the same root as is seen in flow, float; also compare
with Latin fluctus, flumen), meaning "a flowing of water, tide, an overflowing of land by water, a
deluge, Noah's Flood; mass of water, river.
Types of Flooding
This section describes some common types of flooding:

• Coastal flooding
• River flooding
• Flash flooding
• Groundwater flooding
• Sewer flooding
• Rain Flooding

Coastal flooding
Heavy storms or other extreme weather conditions combined with high tides can cause sea levels to
rise above normal, force sea water to the land and cause coastal flooding. Proper flood defenses need
to be in place to safeguard life and property. The Environment Agency and SEPA constantly monitor sea
levels and release flood warnings when required.

River flooding
This type of flooding, where a river bursts or overtops its banks and floods the areas around it, is more
common than coastal flooding in the UK. River flooding is generally caused by prolonged, extensive rain.
Flooding can be worsened by melting snow. Flooding can also occur if the free flow of a river gets blocked
by fallen trees, natural overgrowth or rubbish.

Flash flooding
A flash flood is a fast-moving and unexpected flood. Flash flooding is usually due to heavy rain. While
natural events may be responsible for most flash flooding, it may also arise if flood defences fail or
drainage systems are insufficient. It is expected that flash flooding may become more frequent due to
climate change and over-development in flood plains.

Groundwater flooding
Groundwater flooding can occur when water levels underneath the ground rise above normal levels
approaching the surface. It is usually caused by prolonged periods of rainfall. Groundwater flooding
can last for weeks and months.

Sewer flooding
Sewer flooding may result from a failure of the sewerage system. It may also happen when the sewer
system does not have enough capacity to take water entering the system from heavy rainfall or river
or highway flooding. Sewage water flowing into a building is classified as internal flooding. When it
floods a garden or other open space such as roads or public grounds it is considered as external
flooding. If sewage flooding on your property is caused by a fault in your private drainage, you are
responsible for sorting out the problem. Rain flood in India
Heavy rainfall leading to flooding
Heavy rainfall requires unstable air masses. That is, an adiabatic lapse rate (how cold it gets
in altitude) greater than one degree Celsius per 100 meters. When it happens, the air rises,
moisture condenses when reaching dew point temperature and keeps rising because
condensation releases latent heat energy. If the convection is very strong, the rain will fall
first upwards! The droplets will get bigger and bigger and, finally when overcoming
gravitation, it will fall as big drops heavy rainfall. Sometimes that convection is so strong
that the droplets get so big and rise so high that they freeze into pellets of ice. When they
finally come down, it is as hail.

Also Due to likely instability caused by interaction between westerly winds from higher
altitudes and most winds from the Arabian Sea. A
new low-pressure area gets
formed in the Arabian Sea, which in the next few days is predicted to cause
widespread heavy rains across all over India & major effects the Coastal
Regions of India like Kerala, Tamilnadu, Karnataka, Gujrat etc…

Entire Himalayan region is vulnerable to rain-induced (torrential rainfall)

hazards in the form of flash flood, cloudburst or glacial lake outburst flood.
Flash floods and cloudburst are generally caused by high intensity rainfall
followed by debris flow or landslide often resulting into blockade of river
channels. The examples of some major disasters caused by torrential rainfall
events in last fifty years are the flash floods of 1968 in Teesta valley, in 1993
and 2000 in Sutlej valley, in 1978 in Bhagirathi and in 1970 in Alaknanda river
valleys. The formation of landslide dams and subsequent breaching is also
associated with such rainfall events. These dams may persist for years or may
burst within a short span of its formation. Due to sudden surge of water level
in the river valleys, havoc and panic are created in the down stream. In
Alaknanda valley, frequencies of such extreme rainfall events are found to be
increasing in last two decades. However, the monthly trend of extreme rainfall
events has partly indicated this increase. In most of the years extreme rainfall
events and cloudburst disaster were reported in India during the later part of
the monsoon season.

Where does all of that rain come from?

Several different weather conditions can cause extreme rainfall in a region. Tropical
cyclones form in some tropical and subtropical areas, usually in the summer and fall.
When they appear in the Atlantic Ocean or the northwest part of the Pacific Ocean and
reach a certain intensity, they are called hurricanes. Tropical cyclones can produce
huge amounts of rain, causing flooding and flash flooding once the storm reaches land.
Causes of Flooding
Weather events

Flooding is normally caused by natural weather events such as:

• heavy rainfall and thunderstorms over a short period

• prolonged, extensive rainfall
• high tide combined with stormy conditions.

It is also predicted that climate change will increase the risk of flooding in the UK and other parts of
the world. The following factors can also cause or contribute to flooding.

Poor maintenance

• Faulty sewer networks

• Poor or insufficient drainage networks
• Inadequate maintenance of watercourses

Development/planning issues

• Inappropriate development in flood plains

• Building on land in a way that prevents rainfall from draining away naturally - this includes
roads and car parks that are impermeable to water, increasing the risk of flooding from
rainwater runoff
• Flood defence schemes that are defective or badly designed

Major Causes of Flood in India

Common causes of flood can be divided into the factors triggering it. These
factors include -
• Meteorological factors
• Physical factors
• Human factors
Let’s discuss the factors causing floods in India.
1. Meteorological Factors
The natural causes of flood are discussed below -
• Heavy Rainfall: The season of monsoon enter India in mid-July and stays
till the end of September. During this time, rainwater flows and is collected
in dams. When this tired or collected water reaches beyond the storage
capacity limit, it ends up in flood. Floods caused by rainfall usually occur at
the sub-Himalayan plains of West Bengal, Indo-Gangetic, West coast region
of West Ghat and Assam.
• Cloud Burst: Cloud Burst occurs due to intense precipitation in a short
duration which can sometimes be accompanied by hail and storm and can
 cause a flood. These natural incidents occur at the mountain slopes, and
water runs down towards the plains, causing a flood.
• Cyclone: Cyclones occur in a low-pressure zone where winds rotate
inwardly. Cyclones can be accompanied by a massive storm and lead to
extreme weather conditions. Four eastern coastal states in India, such as
Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, mostly suffer from
cyclonic floods.
• Global Warming: Due to the increased rise in global temperature, glaciers
of the Himalayan range start to melt. As a result, the seawater level also
rises, causing floods in surrounding years.
2. Physical Factors
Those wondering about what physical factors act as flood causes can get a
clear idea from the following section.
• Insufficient Drainage Management: Improper planning of the drainage
system of an area can cause excess water due to heavy rainfall to get stuck
and lead to a flood.
• Catchment Area: Catchment area is an area from where the rainfall water
flows into a river. This can be a lake or reservoir. During monsoon, when
excess water exceeds the limit of holding capacity of the catchment area, it
leads to floods.
3. Human Factor
Following is a list of human causes of flood -
• Siltation: Siltation refers to the flow of silt and sediments in the riverbed.
As particles remain suspended in the river and accumulated in the
riverbed, it disrupts the flow of the river, causing a flood.
• Improper Agricultural Practices: If farmers are not cautious of the
effects of farming practices meaning if they leave the waste material into
the river or cannot handle water management properly, it can lead to a
flood.
• Deforestation: Deforestation is one of the major human causes of floods.
Trees act like a sponge that helps to hold soil and water and prevent
flooding. As trees are being cut down at a fast pace to make way for
urbanisation to grow, more water runs towards a river during heavy
rainfall. As a result, a flood occurs.
• Collapse of Dams: Dams are built to store water and provide water to
people. As dams are human-made, these can be worn out and subsequently
collapse causing floods. Also, if heavy rainfall sustains for a long time, State
Governments often declare to open dam gates which can lead to a
dangerous flood.
The piece mentioned above clearly describes what the causes of floods are.
Now let’s learn about the types of floods.
 What Are the Damages Caused by Floods in India?
The consequences of flood depend on the location, duration, and vulnerability
of the area. The impacts of floods affect both individuals and communities and
have social-environmental consequences. Below is a list of damage caused
by floods.
• Human Loss and Property Loss: Every year, millions of
people become homeless and washed away due to floods.
• Spread of Communicable Diseases: Waterborne diseases
like cholera, typhoid fever, hepatitis, and leptospirosis spread
in flood-affected areas. Floods also lead to vector-borne
diseases, transmitted through parasites and pathogens such
as a mosquito. As a result, the health of flood victims
deteriorates.
• Destruction of Crops: Every year, floods destroy a large
number of crops.
• Loss of Livestock: Like humans, livestock also get displaced
during floods and die due to the loss of their habitats.
• Disruption of Communication Link and Transportation:
Flood causes damage to transportation links such as bridges,
rail, power plants etc., thus causing communication disruption
in those areas.
• Economic and Social Disruption: The economy comes to a
standstill as people are forced to move to another place, and
revival of this situation takes time.
Apart from learning about the impact of floods, individuals must know about
flood-prone areas.
 List of Flood Hazard Zones in India
Below is a list of flood-prone zones or areas in India.
• Punjab
• Haryana
• North Bihar
• West Bengal
• Uttar Pradesh
• Coastal Andhra Pradesh
• Odisha
• Southern Gujarat
• Brahmaputra Valley
Residents can reduce the impacts of floods in these above-mentioned areas
with some preventive measures.
Take a look at the following section!
Preventive Measures to Control Floods in India
• Planting Mangroves: In order to prevent coastal flooding,
State Governments must actively take part in planting more
mangroves in coastal areas. Mangroves act as a robust barrier
against floods. Hence, governments must focus on mangrove
conservation in coastal areas.
• Optimising Technology: Advancement in technology can
help to predict floods. Here, using intelligent flood warning
systems like IFFLOWS can prove to be extremely beneficial.
• Taking Structural and Non-Structural Measures: Structural
measures refers to the physical changes or acts (such as
redesigning buildings or designing physical barriers to
disasters) to protect against a flood. On the other hand, non-
structural measures refer to bringing social solutions such as
planning evacuation, preparing for emergency situations in
flood. These two types of measures during a flood can help to
reduce the impacts of floods in India.
Conclusions
India is a developing country which needs to take a balanced view of development. India has
a long history of irrigation development. It continued at a slow pace until partition. Since
independence, the Government has given highest priority to irrigation to offset severe food
deficit and consequent import of food grains. Countrywide programmes were taken up for
surface- and groundwater resources development through large and medium river valley
projects. National water policy has been a good step in evolving national consensus on the
planning, development and management of water resources in a comprehensive way.
There is an imperative need for harnessing and utilizing riverwater for irrigation supplies,
generation of power and flood control on a sustained basis through these development
projects.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
WWW.GOOGLE.COM
http://www.environmentlaw.org.uk
https://www.godigit.com/guides/natural-disasters/causes-of-flood
GOOGLE IMAGES