Question : Tackling of Floods and Erosion in Assam

(a) whether the Union Government has any action plan to tackle the recurring floods and erosion in the country every year particularly in Assam and if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether the Union Government has conducted any assessment with regard to floods and erosion and if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Union Government has taken any step regarding mechanism to control erosion after Detailed Project Report of “Integrated Flood and Erosion Management of Beki and Manas rivers which were returned to the State Government last year since no compliance to the comments of CWC was received therefrom for more than three months; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?

Answer given by the minister

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI & SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT

(SHRI RATTAN LAL KATARIA)

(a) Floods are natural calamity that India faces almost every year, in varying degrees of magnitude. The frequent occurrence floods can be attributed to various factors, including wide variations in rainfall both in time and space with frequent departures from the normal pattern, inadequate carrying capacities of rivers, river bank erosion and silting of river beds, landslides, poor natural drainage in flood prone areas, snowmelt and glacial lake out bursts. Soil erosion is caused by heavy floods and is a dynamic and natural process resulting in changes in river course and causing loss of land, the intensity of which varies with time and space. As a part of structural measures, in the State of Assam, a total of 141 projects with an estimated cost of Rs.2383.11 Crore were approved and included under FMP during XI & XII Plan, Since the start of XI plan, total Central Assistance released by Government of India to State Government of Assam under FMP uptill March, 2020 is Rs.1286.39 Crore. Out of these 141 schemes, 105 schemes have been completed; 30 schemes foreclosed and shifted and 6 schemes are ongoing. These 105 completed schemes have given protection to an area of around 0.67 mha and protected a population of about 16.063 million.

Flood forecasting is considered as one of the most cost effective non-structural measure for flood management. Central Water Commission (CWC) has been entrusted with the work of flood forecasting and warning in India. CWC issues flood forecasts as a non-structural measure of flood management for 30 numbers of Level Forecasting stations in Assam on Rivers Brahmaputra, Barak and their tributaries which caters to the need of flood forecasting in Assam.
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(b) The Government of India has been making regular efforts to assist the State Governments in effective flood management and it had taken several important actions, including setting up of Various Expert Committees / Task Forces/ Commissions from time to time, which studied the flood problems and recommended suitable flood management measures for implementation by the State Governments. Recently, in order to formulate the strategy for flood management works in the entire country and river management activities and works in the border areas for period 2021– 26, a Committee was constituted by NITI Aayog under the chairmanship of Vice Chairman and has given its Report in January, 2021. Morphological Studies by various IIT and NIIT have been carried out for major rivers like Ganga, Sharda, Rapti, Kosi, Bagmati, Subansari, Krishna, Mahanadi Mahanada, etc. The Morphological Studies of the rivers helps in knowing the nature of rivers which helps in planning, designing and maintaining of Flood Protection/ River training Works and water resources projects. These Studies aid in finding the vulnerable spots for bank erosion/deposition, aggradations/ degradation etc.

(c) & (d) – The Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the scheme named “Integrated Flood and Erosion Management of Manas and Beki rivers in Districts of Baksa and Barpeta in Brahmaputra Vally within Assam (Review)” costing Rs.202.3 Crores has been resubmitted to Central Water Commission in January, 2020. The DPR has been techno-economically appraised by CWC for consideration of Advisory Committee of Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti.

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