EXTENT OF DAMAGE AND LIFE LOSS DUE TO FLOODING IN THE LOWER GANDAK PLAIN
Keywords:
Flood, flood effect, Loss of life and property, Damage to houses and infrastructures, Upper basin and Lower basinAbstract
Flood is a worldwide phenomenon causing loss of life, property, infrastructures and crop
damage. In north Indian plain, it is very severe. It is caused by heavy torrential rain particularly
in the Himalayan upper catchment in association with huge snow melt in higher altitudinal
glaciers during summer when the temperature is high. Thus, precipitous slope, huge water
availability and greater carrying capacity of flowing water produce enormous sediment load.
When rivers debouch in the plain, slope is reduced drastically. It leads to reduction in water
velocity, causing sediment to deposit. Rivers become much wide and later erosion become
prominent. All these issues create serious condition for easy and safe passage of additional
discharging water. Excess water is bound to spread in the surrounding areas. Therefore,
flooding becomes inevitable and stagnating water in any area creates enormous difficulty to the
people. Hence, flooding causes damage to crops, houses, roads, and telecommunications other
infrastructures, and loss of life of people and their cattle. Apart from them, water-borne
diseases are also spreading in the flood affected areas, causing suffering. With respect to the
Lower Gandak Plain, these situations are very severe as huge mountainous catchment with
small plain basin offers very unfavorable condition and the loss is very high. Hence, an attempt
has been made in this article to (i) explain the extent of people affected and damage to crops
and houses, (ii) through light the loss of life and cattle and (iii) deliberate on the loss of public
utilities and their impact on the society in the Gandak Lower Plain. The analysis of this study
will help in suggesting remedial measures to overcome the problems of flooding and its illeffect.