In 1980, the Rashtriya Barh Ayog (RBA) had assessed the area of 40 mha in the country lying in 21 States and one Union Territory. Subsequently, a Committee constituted under the Chairman, Ganga Flood Control Commission (GFCC), Patna in February’ 2006 identified a total of 39 districts in the country as flood prone. The details of these 39 districts are given in Annex-1.

 

                A number of Expert Committees had been set up by Government of India in the past for study of the flood problem in various parts of the country and to suggest ways and means for minimising frequent occurrence of floods. Recently, the Government of India constituted a Task Force on Flood Management and Erosion Control in 2004 which recommended immediate, short term and long term measures of flood management and erosion control in NE region and Ganga Basin States. The summary of recommendations of Task Force 2004 are given in Annex-2. 

 

                The subject of Flood Management falls within the purview of the State Governments and the role of Union Government provides support to the State Governments which is technical, advisory, catalytic and promotional in nature. The Union Government has also been providing central assistance to the State Governments for effective flood management in critical areas. Based on the recommendations of the Task Force 2004 on Flood Management/Erosion Control, the Government of India launched a Flood Management Programme during XI Plan for providing central assistance to the State Governments to enable them to undertake works related to flood management/ erosion control and anti-sea erosion. Under this Programme, a central assistance of Rs.3566 crore was provided to the various States during XI Plan. 

 

 

                This information was given by Union Water Resources Minister Shri Harish Rawat  in the Lok Sabha today in reply to a written question.

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Annex-1

List of Districts identified as “ Flood Prone Districts” by the Committee headed by Chairman, GFCC

 

 

Annex-2

 

Recommendations of Task Force 2004 on Flood Management/ Erosion Control  and Action Taken

 

A-                 Broad Recommendations of Task Force-2004

(i)                Expanding the role of the Central Govt. in  the Flood control sector.  The flood control schemes should be funded through a Centrally Sponsored Scheme in the ratio of 90% Central and 10% State from the present 75:25.  The corpus for Centrally Sponsored Scheme also needs to be increased substantially to accommodate all critical flood management and critical anti-erosion works.

(ii)              Schemes worth Rs. 316.14 crore as immediate measure, to be taken before the coming flood season. The Schemes worth Rs. 2030.15 crore were recommended under Short term-I category to be executed during the remaining two years of the X Five Year Plan i.e. during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 and Rs. 2635.81 crore under Short Term-II category to be completed in XI Plan.

(iii)            The total investment for plan / flood Management may be to at least 1% of the total Plan outlay.

(iv)            Earmarking funds in the State sector as Additional Central assistance for maintenance of embankments.

(v)              Eligibility criteria of schemes for Central funding is proposed to  be reduced to                Rs. 1.0 crore from the existing limit of Rs. 3.0 crore per scheme.

(vi)            Creation of a revolving fund of Rs. 50 Crore, which may be available annually to the Ministry of Water Resources to take up emergent flood management schemes. The normal requirement of ‘in principle’ approval of the Planning Commission is recommended to be waived in this particular case.  The schemes under this fund could be implemented by the States/Boards after inspection by CWC/Brahmaputra Board.  The Task Force has further recommended that to mobilize resources for this revolving fund, a flood cess of say 1% to 2% could be levied on new infrastructure like roads, buildings, power plants etc. in the flood prone states.

(vii)          The Central Govt. may consider funding the flood control component of the reservoir projects.

(viii)        Under the institutional arrangements,  setting up of an Authority in the North East region with all the statutory powers.  In the meantime it  recommended strengthening and restructuring of the Brahmaputra Board.

(ix)             Establishment of Sikkim and North Bengal River Management Board for planning and integrated implementation of measures for flood management in Sikkim and North Bengal.

(x)               Strengthening of the Ganga Flood Control Commission by addition of a Member (Works) and appropriate field formation for investigation and execution of critical flood management works.

(xi)             Extension of jurisdiction of Farakka Barrage Organisation from Rajmahal in the upstream to Jangipur Barrage afflux bund in the downstream.

(xii)           Strengthening of Flood Management Organisation of the Central Water Commission by restoring the post of Member(Floods) abolished earlier and redeployment of posts of Chief Engineer, two Directors and other lower level functionaries in order to have policy formulation and coordination amongst various agencies.

(xiii)         The Brahmaputra Board and the proposed Sikkim and North Bengal River Management Board be entrusted the techno-economical examination of the schemes upto Rs. 15 Cr. for submission to the Planning Commission for investment clearance.

(xiv)         Expediting the taking up of reservoir projects in the Northeast as well as in Nepal and Bhutan under the category of long term measures for flood management.

The report of the Task Force was circulated to the various Ministries/Planning Commission and the concerned State Governments. 

B-                 Action Taken / Implementation Status of the Recommendations of Task Force-2004

 The Government of India has initiated actions on the recommendations of Task Force-2004 on Flood Management / Erosion Control and status thereof is as under:

(i)                The Government has expanded role of Central Government in Flood Sector. During X Plan, the Government of India approved the Centrally Sponsored Scheme “ Critical Anti-erosion Works in Ganga Basin States” for Rs. 305.03 crore and State Sector Scheme “ Critical Flood Control and Anti-erosion Schemes in Brahmaputra and Barak Valley States” for Rs. 225.00 crore for undertaking Immediate, Short-Term-I measures recommended by the Task Force-2004.

(ii)              In September, 2007, the Government of India launched a Flood Management Programme during XI Plan for providing central assistance to the State Governments to enable them to undertake works related to flood management/ erosion control and anti-sea erosion. Under this Programme, a central assistance of Rs.3566 crore was provided to the various States during XI Plan. 

(iii)            A proposal for setting up of North East Water Resources Authority was formulated by the Union Ministry of Water Resources. All the States except Arunachal Pradesh welcomed the proposal. The concerns of the State of Arunachal Pradesh are being addressed at appropriate level in Government of India. The proposal of Restructuring and Strengthening of Brahmaputra Board is under consideration of the Government of India. 

(iv)            A proposal for setting up of Sikkim and North Bengal River Management Board was formulated by the Union Ministry of Water Resources but the same was not agreed to by the Planning Commission. Mean-while the jurisdiction of Brahmaputra Board has been extended by the Government of India to cover the State of Sikkim and area of North Bengal. 

(v)              The Union Ministry of Water Resources had formulated a proposal for setting up of a National Flood Management Commission (NFMC) as an attached office of the Ministry of Water Resources. The proposal was not recommended on the meeting of Committee of secretaries.

(vi)            The Government of India, in consultation with the State Government of West Bengal, extended the jurisdiction of Farakka Barrage between 40 km in the upstream and 80 km in the downstream of Farakka Barrage in order to take up the anti-erosion works more effectively on Ganga main stem. Subsequently, anti-erosion works on main tributaries of Ganga on West Bengal have also been added to the jurisdiction of Farakka Barrage Project.

(vii)          The Government of India is having continuous bilateral discussions through established joint mechanisms with Nepal and Bhutan for expediting construction of large storage reservoir projects in these countries for long term flood management measures. The field investigations for Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project had already been completed and efforts are being made by Indian side for finalization of the Joint DPR. The field investigations for Sapta Kosi High dam Multipurpose Project and Sun Kosi Storage cum Diversion Project are in progress. The work of Feasibility Level Study of Kamala Dam Project and Preliminary study of Bagmati Project in Nepal are in progress.

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