Jal Shakti | National Floodplains Zoning Policy

The assessment of flood prone area of the country has been carried out by different expert committees. The Rashtriya Barh Ayog (RBA) had, in the year 1980, estimated the total area liable to floods in the country as 40 Mha. The extent of maximum area affected by floods as per the Working Group (WG) Report on Flood Management and Region Specific Issues in 2011 is 49.815 Mha, state-wise break up of which is given at Annexure- I.

Flood Plain Zoning has been recognized as an effective non-structural measure for flood management. Flood-plain zoning measures aim at demarcating zones or areas likely to be affected by floods of different magnitude or frequencies and probability levels, and specify the types of permissible developments in these zones, so that whenever floods actually occur, the damage can be minimised.

The action for demarcation of flood plain areas and regulating the activities therein, is to be undertaken by respective state governments. Ministry of Jal Shakti has continuously impressed upon the States the need to adopt flood plain zoning approach. A model draft bill for flood plain zoning legislation was also circulated by the Union Government to all the States. This bill envisages zoning of flood plain of a river according to flood frequencies and defines the type of use of flood plain. The states of Manipur, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and erstwhile State of Jammu & Kashmir had enacted the legislation. However, delineation and demarcation of flood plains is yet to be undertaken. National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has also time to time advised all states in Ganga basin for demarcation, delineation and notification of river flood plains and removal of encroachment from river bed/floodplain of the river Ganga and its tributaries in adherence to the River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Order, 2016.

This Information was given by the Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Shri Bishweswar Tudu in a written  reply in Rajya Sabha today.

ANNEXURE-I

State-wise Maximum Area Affected by Floods in any year during

1953-2010 as per WG (2011) Report