Flood threat: CAG report finds irrigation department napping

  • | Thursday | 19th April, 2018

Due to non-enactment of the flood plain zoning, the department was also unable to avoid or minimise the risk of damages in flood events, if any. SHIMLA: Even as threat of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) has increased manifold with the melting of glaciers in the Himalayan region and formation of new glacial lakes in Himachal Pradesh , the state irrigation and public health department has failed to take any preventive measure, the audit conducted by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India ( CAG ) has found.The CAG audit has revealed that the department had not carried out specific studies on glacial lake outburst floods and landslide dam break floods during 2012-17.With a view to increase preparedness for sudden and unexpected flood related disasters in hilly reaches, clause 10.7 of National Water Policy 2012 provides for studies related to glacial lake outburst floods and landslide dam break floods with periodic monitoring along with instrumentation.The CAG report tabled in the state assembly on April 5 said the department had not evolved any early warning system in the state as of June 2017 and it hadn’t given any reason when asked for the reason for the same in March last year.It has also noticed that as of June 2017, necessary legislation for the flood plain zoning was not enacted in the state. In spite of assurance in the exit conference, the department did not furnish reasons for the same, it added.Flood plain zoning measures aim at demarcating zones or areas likely to be affected by floods of different magnitudes or frequencies of probability levels and specify the types of permissible development in these zone so as to minimise the damage due to floods.As per recommendations 28 of Standing Committee (2013-14), the state was required to enact legislation for the flood plain zoning to prevent encroachments and non-permissible activities in the areas located in the flood plain zone.The State Centre on Climate Change of the State Council for Science Technology and Environment has prepared an inventory of moraine dammed lakes in all four basins —Chenab, Beas, Ravi and Sutlej — using high resolution satellite data and has found 596 moraine dammed lakes in these basins.The report has also revealed that there is a considerable increase in the number of moraine dammed lakes (GLOFs) in each basin.The 2013 tragedy in Uttarakhand has also been correlated with the bursting of a lake having a total area of about 8 hectare in front of the snout of Chorabari glaciers that caused widespread damage in the downstream areas.

SHIMLA: Even as threat of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) has increased manifold with the melting of glaciers in the Himalayan region and formation of new glacial lakes in Himachal Pradesh , the state irrigation and public health department has failed to take any preventive measure, the audit conducted by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India ( CAG ) has found.The CAG audit has revealed that the department had not carried out specific studies on glacial lake outburst floods and landslide dam break floods during 2012-17.With a view to increase preparedness for sudden and unexpected flood related disasters in hilly reaches, clause 10.7 of National Water Policy 2012 provides for studies related to glacial lake outburst floods and landslide dam break floods with periodic monitoring along with instrumentation.The CAG report tabled in the state assembly on April 5 said the department had not evolved any early warning system in the state as of June 2017 and it hadn’t given any reason when asked for the reason for the same in March last year.It has also noticed that as of June 2017, necessary legislation for the flood plain zoning was not enacted in the state. Due to non-enactment of the flood plain zoning, the department was also unable to avoid or minimise the risk of damages in flood events, if any. In spite of assurance in the exit conference, the department did not furnish reasons for the same, it added.Flood plain zoning measures aim at demarcating zones or areas likely to be affected by floods of different magnitudes or frequencies of probability levels and specify the types of permissible development in these zone so as to minimise the damage due to floods.As per recommendations 28 of Standing Committee (2013-14), the state was required to enact legislation for the flood plain zoning to prevent encroachments and non-permissible activities in the areas located in the flood plain zone.The State Centre on Climate Change of the State Council for Science Technology and Environment has prepared an inventory of moraine dammed lakes in all four basins —Chenab, Beas, Ravi and Sutlej — using high resolution satellite data and has found 596 moraine dammed lakes in these basins.The report has also revealed that there is a considerable increase in the number of moraine dammed lakes (GLOFs) in each basin.The 2013 tragedy in Uttarakhand has also been correlated with the bursting of a lake having a total area of about 8 hectare in front of the snout of Chorabari glaciers that caused widespread damage in the downstream areas.

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