natural disasters

Flood is one the most severe natural disasters. The maximum flooding is caused by the Ganga and the Brahmaputra rivers in India.

Causes of Floods: When water  over flows beyond its normal course floods occur. The damage it causes to people and property is known  as the flood hazard . When a river  overflows its banks and the water spreads in the surrounding regions , it is known as the riverine flood.  Before a flood begins, the maximum amount of water that a river can hold is known as the river’s channel capacity.  Sometimes blocking of river channel due to  landslides may bring flood.  Strong tides and storms at sea may also bring flood.  When massive cyclones and tsunamis over the water bodies occur it causes the flood.  Apart from all these causes, silting of river beds  or sediment depositions may also causes flood.   River estuaries and sea coasts experience flood when the sea level rises.  Change in the course of a river and narrowness, floods of the rivers, faulty engineering designs in the construction of dams and canals  may also causes flood.

Flood –Prone Areas . About, one-eight of the total area of India is estimated to be flood-prone. North and Eastern India are   vulnerable to floods. The Indo –Gangetic –Brahmaprtra plains in the north and Northeast India are the  most floods prone areas.

The Indus , the Ganga and the Brahmaputra rivers carry approximately 60 per cent of the total river flow in India. The Brahmaprtra–Ganga and Meghana basins are spread over 15 states and nearly 47 per cent of our country’s population lives in the basin.

Northwest regions are also flood–prone areas with the west flowing rivers such as the Narmada and Tapti. In the Decean Plateau , the delta regions of the Mahanadi , Godavari  , Krishna and Cauvery river all these rivers are east-flowing experience occasional floods. In other words , it can be said that floods in Southern India are not as frequent as they are in Northern India.

Main Season for Floods.  The main reason of floods is  the west monsoon period (June to September) in India.  During these four months  nearly 75 per cent of the total  rainfall occurs.  Consequently, the  rivers have a massive  discharge during this period. It leads to widespread floods.

Effects of Floods :  Flooding is one of the most devastating and destructive natural  disasters. It causes heavy economic  devastation and people …