fmisc e-bulletin

Mr. Dipak Kumar Singh, I.A.S. Secretary Water Resources Department Mr. Rajeshwar Dayal Engineer-in-Chief (North) Mr. Ram Pukar Ranjan Engineer-in-Chief (Central) Mr. A. K. Samaiyar Joint Director Editorial Board Mr. S. K. Sinha, Editor Prof. Santosh Kumar, Co-Editor Dr. Dilip Kumar, Assoc. Editor Dr. Saroj Kr Verma, Assoc.Co-editor Mr. S. K. Mukerjee, Assoc. Co-editor

From the Joint Director’s Desk There is a saying in Indian mythology, “foifRr dHkh dg dj ugha vkrh”. This is very true as it happened recently in Bihaṛ. When Bihar was facing drought like condition in many districts due to less rainfall than normal, there was sudden threat of massive flood in Kosi river in north Bihar between 2nd to 5th August this month. It was because of a massive landslide in Nepal at Jure village in Sindhupalchawk district of Nepal in river Sun Kosi in the wee hours of 2nd August and the entire flow of the river, which is a tributary of river Kosi, was blocked. As a result, the water upstream of the landslide site started heading up and that accumulated up to 2.5 to 3 km stretch and attained almost a height of 50-60 m behind the landslide site. A red alert was sounded and the government machinery of all concerned departments including Water Resources Department, GoB geared up. A team of selected engineers of WRD, GoB was sent by air for deployment at various vulnerable sites at Birpur u/s and d/s of barrage. Flood fighting material were collected and directions to keep round the clock vigil on the embankments were given. NDRF personnel were positioned, relief materials were kept ready, relief camps were established, people inside the embankments were taken out to safer places and helicopters were kept ready to meet any emergent situation. FMISC flood cell was also active and immediately provided the exact location of landslide site on GIS maps. Government of Nepal, too acted, very quickly and did controlled blasting to allow ponded water to flow at discharge more than the inflow rate at the site. FMISC also furnished updated current gauge data of u/s Barhabise and d/s Pachuarghat site to the department from time to time. We also provided information related to time that will be required to pass the stored water at the regulated outflow speed and the height of water that will reach the barrage at Birpur if stored water bursts through the blockade in the worst case. However, nothing untoward happened and the discharge passed safely without causing any flood. Later during 2nd and 3rd week of August, there were heavy rains causing floods in many districts of Bihar resulting in damages in some embankments. The flood news can be seen on the 2nd page of this bulletin. By the end of August, the actual rainfall is still 14% less than the normal rainfall in Bihar.

Other activities of FMISC are moving ahead. As always, we are aiming towards our mission…pjSosfr…pjSosfr………………………..

Flood Management Improvement Support Centre Water Resources Department

Bihar

Contents • From the Joint Director’s Desk • From the Co-Editor’s Desk • News in Picture • Flood News • News and Activities • Information Products

“Towards a culture of preparedness for better flood management”

Vol. 7 No. 2 August 2014

From the Co-Editor’s Desk In India, in general and in Bihar in particular, water engineers and water managers are always on tenterhooks during

the monsoon period. We sit with our hands crossed praying for an optimum rainfall, no more no less. While excessive rain brings flood, the shortage of it causes drought.

Besides skewed rainfall, we are also exposed to frequently occurring natural calamities like the one which happened in Nepal when an artificial ‘dam’ was created due to massive landslide across the river Sun Kosi. FMISC has played its part in keeping round- the- clock vigil over the possible fall-out of this natural event in Bihar. We were hopeful that with the Indo-Nepal efforts, the huge amount of water collected behind the artificial landslide mass will be safely carried to the outfall.

Somebody has rightly said, “The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Because in the time of destruction, we can always create something.

Contact Information : FMIS Centre, Second Floor, Jal Sansadhan Bhawan, Anisabad, Patna, Bihar- 800 002 Tel- 0612-2256999, 0612-2254802, Fax- 0612-2256999 E-mail – fmiscbihar@gmail.com, fmisc_bihar@yahoo.co.in Website : http://www.fmis.bih.nic.in

News and Activities

Pre-Proposal conference for Flood forecast and Inundation modelling including flood plain topographic survey for Kosi basin held on 04.08.2014.

A meeting between FMISC and Hydrology Directorate held on 06.08.2014 to consider installation of GD sites below Hayaghat in Bagmati-Adhwara basin for Flood forecast and Inundation modelling

Meeting on 08.06.2014 with Mr. Prabir Joardar, WB Water Resources Specialist on technical issues regarding river edge protection in Eastern Kosi Embankment under BKFRP.

Meeting of Inception Report of Preparation of Master Plan for flood and sediment management in Kosi river basin under BKFRP on 13.08.2014.

Dr. S. T. Chari, World Bank Consultant visited FMISC from 25th to 29th August to review the progress of FMIS 2 and discuss FMIS3 phase concept.

Standing Review Committee reviewed different reports pertaining to River C/S of Bagmati-Adhwara Basin, Spatial Data Base System of south Bihar and EIA of Kosi Basin consultancies on 27.08.2014.

Ø Designed and published at FMISC, Patna.

Information Product News in picture

Landslide site in Sunkosi river in Nepal

Probable Inundation in case of breach at Rampur Kanth Bagmati Left Embankment (Based on Processed Layer provided by DSC, NRSC, Hyderabad)

Flood News

Nullifying the effect of El Nino, there was very good rain in the second and third week of August both in Bihar and Nepal. This resulted in averting the drought like situation, but at the same time brought floods in some rivers of Bihar causing damages to some embankments as given below:-

• Damage in Kamla Balan right embankment causing floods in villages of Ghanshyampur Block under Darbhanga district.

• Damage in Bagmati left embankment causing floods in villages in Suppi Block under Sitamarhi district.

• Many villages in West Champaran district were also flooded due to damage reported in Champaran embankment on river Gandak, and in Gopalganj district due to damage in Sallehpur Tandaspur Chharki.

• Nalanda district also faced severe flood because of breach in some Zamindari Bandhs and overbank spilling of local rivers. Due to heavy rain and drainage congestion, there was

severe waterlogging in several parts of Patna which continued for days together. Drainage system in Patna definitely needs to be improved.