About 40 million hectares in India liable to flooding: RBA

Delhi, May 18 (UNI) About 40 million hectares in the country is liable to flooding, with the Gangetic plains being the most vulnerable.

Uttar Pradesh led the list of flood-prone states with more than seven million hectares liable to flooding, Bihar came next with over four million hectares, and Punjab, Rajasthan and Asom followed with 3.70, 3.26 and 3.15 million hectares respectively, according to Union Water Resources ministry's Rashtriya Barh Ayog.

Flood management being a state subject, the schemes for flood control were planned, funded and executed by the state governments themselves as per their own priorities out of their state plan funds that were made available to them through the Planning Commission.

However, in order to enable the State in tackling flood problems, the central government set up Ganga Flood Control Commission in 1972 that prepared comprehensive master plans for all the 23 major river systems of the Ganga basin.

The government also set up Bhrahmaputra Board in 1980 that prepared 48 comprehensive master plans for Bhrahmaputra and Barak river systems and their tributries.

Besides, the union government set up a 21-member task force on flood management/erosion control in 2004, which submitted its report in December 2004 recommending immediate short and long term measures for flood management and erosion.

The government had also been providing central assistance to various states through plan schemes to enable them in flood management in critical areas.

Besides, the government had been having dialogue with neighbouring countries - Nepal, China and Bhutan - on matters related to flood forecasting and construction of storage dams to check floods in Indian territory due to rivers flowing from their territories.

UNI