(a) the initiative undertaken and responsibilities shared by the Union Government in flood control and management;
(b) whether breach of dams, canals and embankments have been reported in various States during the recent monsoon;
(c) if so, the details thereof alongwith the funds granted for their repair and maintenance, State-wise; and
(d) the steps taken by the Government for prevention of flooding downstream and mitigating loss of life and property in river basins?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES (SHRI VINCENT H. PALA)
(a): Flood Management being a State subject, the schemes for flood control are planned,
funded and executed by the State Governments, as per their own priorities. The Government of
India provides central assistance to State Governments to take up flood management works
which are critical in nature. During XI plan, a state sector scheme namely, “Flood Management
Programme (FMP)†at an estimated cost of Rs. 8000 Cr. was approved by the Central Government
on 02-11-2007 in order to provide financial assistance to the State Governments. State-wise
details of works undertaken under FMP are given in Annexure-A.
In addition, Government of India has set up a National Disaster Management Authority(NDMA) under Disaster Management Act, 2005 for management of natural calamities, including
floods. The comprehensive guidelines on “Management of Floods†issued by NDMA in January
2008, inter alia, provides for preparation of flood management plans at National, State and
District levels covering all aspect of disaster management cycle including the implementation
schedule and monitoring system.
(b) & (c): The State Government of Bihar reported breach of Saran embankment on river
Gandak in Gopalganj district of Bihar in September, 2010. The Yamuna embankment near Panipat
in Haryana and the Ghaghar embankment in Punjab; were also reported to have been breached
during the recent floods resulting in flooding. As per information collected from the
Government of Bihar, restoration of breached portion of Saran embankment is under progress.
No fund for this work has been requested by the State Government from the Ministry of Water
Resources. Breaches in the Yamuna and the Ghaghar embankments have been closed by the concerned
State Governments from their own resources.
(d): The Government of India set up the Ganga Flood Control Commission (GFCC) in 1972
for preparation of comprehensive master plans for flood control measures in the Ganga basin
States. Detailed Comprehensive Master Plans for all the 23 river systems constituting the
Ganga basin have been prepared by GFCC and circulated to the concerned State Governments for
implementation. Similarly, the Brahmaputra Board was set up in 1980 to prepare comprehensive
master plans for flood control in Brahmaputra and Barak Valley. The Brahmaputra Board has
prepared the Master Plans of the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers along with 52 major tributaries
of the region and sent the same to the concerned States for early implementation.