Meghnad Saha’s Paradoxical Story: Railways and the 1922 North Bengal Floods (original) (raw)
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Indian Stream Research Journal - ISRJ , 2012
Floods in India have been a common yearly occurrence. In 1954, National Floods Control Programme (NFCP) was adopted several measures to minimize their devastation. But, Floods continued its annual visitation with varying degrees of affecting power. Sometimes, Embankment, a major structural measure for floods may create negative environment for flood and water logging condition for any floodplain. The present paper has been prepared as a flood risk assessment study for the confluence zone of the Kunur River and the Ajay River, related to the present and absence of embankment along the Ajay River bank, which increasing basin run-off and channel discharge, modifying channel width, helps to spread over river water in the floodplains.
2013
All around the globe, sea levels were rising, providing a further reminder of global connectedness and a future in which flood hazards would worsen and El-Nino become a phenomenon known to many. New technologies were constantly emerging, particularly in the media ,information ,space and communication sectors drawing some of the occupants of the ‘global village’ much closer together and making ‘disaster news’ more immediate and graphic. Technological advances challenged the power of institutions; governments could no longer so easily restrict their citizens’ access to information or pursue their policies in isolation. Before 90’s there was no such use of remote sensing measures in India. So till now the study of flood, floodplain, its type, causes and its comparative analysis though empirical records can introduce the destructive scenario in West Bengal. Proper and scientific study of floodplain and its scientific comparative analysis proves its significance in India and helps to sug...
FLOODS AND FLOODPLAINS: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF WEST BENGAL, INDIA
All around the globe, sea levels were rising, providing a further reminder of global connectedness and a future in which flood hazards would worsen and El-Nino become a phenomenon known to many. New technologies were constantly emerging, particularly in the media ,information ,space and communication sectors drawing some of the occupants of the 'global village' much closer together and making 'disaster news' more immediate and graphic. Technological advances challenged the power of institutions; governments could no longer so easily restrict their citizens' access to information or pursue their policies in isolation. Before 90's there was no such use of remote sensing measures in India. So till now the study of flood, floodplain, its type, causes and its comparative analysis though empirical records can introduce the destructive scenario in West Bengal. Proper and scientific study of floodplain and its scientific comparative analysis proves its significance in India and helps to suggest the sustainable management of flood in the state.
Flood Mitigation in Developing Countries: A Case Study of India
Asian Review of Social Sciences
Floods are the common natural disasters in most of the developing countries, and India isno exception.Due to the geographic and climatic conditions the country remains under threat. Floods have been recurrent phenomenon in many parts of India, causing loss of lives and public property and bringing untold misery to the people. The floods that occurred in India in 2013 were highly catastrophic based on the number of victims. International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, IFRC (2013) continues to steer the evacuation efforts as well as in rescuing the stranded victims. Methods of structural control of floodwater can be grouped into four types; namely, storage, diversion, enhancing channel capacity, and constriction of the water within the channel. The following flood mitigation measures could be adopted to mitigate the adverse impacts of severe floods and to prevent normal floods. Flood walls are constructed out of materials such as concrete or steel in order to cont...
Flooding is an accumulation of water in an area either by direct rainfall irresistible to the volume of drainage systems or a spill of huge amount of water from water bodies beyond normal limits. It could be localized, impacting a small area or could be vast or massive, impacting very large area. Urban flooding is caused by heavy rainfall overwhelming drainage capacity. It already has large economic and social impacts. These are very likely to increase if no changes are made to the unplanned development of buildings and infrastructure and poor management of urban drainage. Urban floods are a great disturbance of daily life in the city. Urbanization in developing countries doubled from less than 25% in 1970 to more than 50% in 2006. By 2020, seven of the world's ten largest economies will be from Asia. At the same time, Asia in one of the fastest urbanization regions in the world. In 2000, 37% of its population lived in cities and the proportion is projected to reach more than 50% by 2025.Across India, in the recent times, city after city has experienced floods. Through this paper, the author reviews urban flood events within India in recent past. This paper describes why it is important to study urban floods scenarios and what the need for this study is. It highlights the types and causes of the localized flooding as well as its impact and consequences. The study concludes the infrastructure and economic losses due to these urban events.
IRJET- A Review Paper on Flood Control Management by using Embankment
IRJET, 2020
Bank are built for the maintenance of water for water system and supply, and for ensuring individuals, land, and property from flooding. Failure of any embankment poses risk to people and property nearby and the services provided by the embankment. The review of importance of embankment in flood control identifies significant issues in the parametresation of the process in existing model and the data used for calibration. The paper reports the options for multipurpose use of embankments in miraj based on the field visits to the embankments site, collected data and information on failure and on service embankments during field visit, necessary data related to embankment construction practice obtained from available publication and newspaper information. Based on by and large current circumstance in miraj, the paper additionally propose an appropriate plan and development strategy for dikes to control and limit the degree of flood risks over the long haul and furthermore inferred that to accomplish reliable standard of the board of flood dikes, and furthermore increase this expectation to enhance their exhibition, require a superior comprehension and utilization of good practice and a scope of research activities. Key words: Flood control, embankment, flood sub grade drainage flood resistance, flood risk management. II. INTRODUCTION Embankment are constructed for the retention of water for irrigation and water supply, and the protection of people, land, and property from flooding. Flooding is one of the most serious problem in the India today. As indicated by the Indian, Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration flooding is described as an "irregular dynamic" ascent in the water level of stream. That may result in the overflowing by the water of the normal confines of the stream with the subsequent inundation of area which are not normally submerged. Flood are categorized according to its natural and artificial causes. Embankments are constructed for the retention of water for irrigation and supply, and the protection of people, land, and property from flooding. Disappointment of any bank presents dangers to individuals and property close by and the administrations gave by the dike. The ability to maintain assets, and provide an acceptable standard of service for water supply and flood defence therefore depends on understanding and predicting performance of the embankments under all conditions. Tools currently available for simulating embankment failure are not very accurate and can only be used for indicative assessments. Consequently, the prediction of flood risk from embankment breach may be similarly inaccurate. III. LITERATURE REVIEW M. A. A. Mohamed1 (2009) Embankments are developed the survey of breaking of banks right now critical issues in the for the maintenance of water for water system and supply, and for securing individuals, land, and property from flooding. Disappointment of any dike presents dangers to individuals and property close by and the administrations gave by the dike. parameterisation of the procedures in existing models and the information utilized for alignment. This paper depicts the advancement of another model the disappointment of a dike that can reenact break development, and thus ensuing dangers, more dependably than existing models. The model uses the standard standards of water power, silt transport and soil mechanics and acquaints another system with model the parallel development of the rupture dependent on a blend of constant disintegration and mass unsteadiness. The model can mimic the disappointment of various dikes, either homogeneous or composite, by overtopping or funneling, and incorporates a probabilistic dispersion for recreating bank condition and soil parameters. The model has been tried utilizing both exploratory and genuine disappointment information, with demonstrating results indicating sensible concurrence with watched esteems for a scope of various situations. Suvendu Roy2 (2012) Floods in India have been a typical yearly event. In 1954, National Floods Control Program (NFCP) was embraced a few measures to limit their decimation. However, Floods proceeded with its yearly appearance with fluctuating degrees of influencing power. Now and then, Embankment, a significant auxiliary measure for floods may make negative condition for flood and water logging condition for any floodplain. The present paper has been set up as a flood chance evaluation study for the intersection zone of the Kunur River and the Ajay River, identified with the present and nonappearance of dike along the Ajay River bank, which expanding bowl runoff and channel release,
Floods and people, colonial north Bengal, 1871–1922
Studies in people's history, 2018
North Bengal is an area of heavy rainfall through which rivers flowing down from the Himalayas have been frequently overflowing and changing their beds in the soft alluvial soil. Floods have, therefore, been a recurring phenomenon, caused by snow-melting and heavy rainfall. The present article is an intensive study of the floods that ravaged north Bengal in a period of over 50 years (1871-1922) during which the ground surface changed with the building of embanked railway lines, other embankments and dams thereby blocking the natural drainage lines of the past. The article also chronicles how the local populations suffered from the constant recurrence and increasing virulence of floods. It thus aims to bring together the information we have on the environmental and the human history of the region for a period of about 50 years of colonial rule.
Riverine Flood Hazard: Part B. Disaster Risk Reduction in India
The economic risk from and social vulnerability to riverine floods in India is one of the highest, if not the highest, in the world, with millions of people exposed and vulnerable, and billions of rupees worth of property and infrastructure at risk. Between 1953 and 2011, the total number of human lives lost to floods was 97,551 and the total economic cost of floods in India was 4.506x10 12 INR (6912x10 7 USD) in 2017 prices. Embankments have been the dominant flood protection scheme, or Disaster Risk Reduction strategy, since Independence and despite the heroic construction of tens of thousands of embankments to protect lives and property from floods, economic damage continues to rise, even when normalized for inflation to take account of increasing wealth and therefore an increase in the amount of property that can be damaged. Explanations of this apparent paradox vary, but appear to centre on breaches in embankments, incomplete embankments, sedimentation in channels because of embankments and therefore deeper and more dangerous floods, human encroachment onto floodplains partly as a result of 'the levee effect' whereby people feel safe in the presence of embankments, and the displacement of traditional coping mechanisms by government initiatives. While governments, NGOs, and academics have often discussed non-structural DRR, and some is in place, there has been little development of this approach to more completely complement structural interventions to reduce deaths and damage. A workshop of flood management practitioners and analysts in February 2017 produced a set of recommendations for a more robust form of DRR for India, and they are presented as a contribution to at least moderate what has become an existential crisis for many Indians.
Riverine Flood Hazard: Disaster Risk Reduction in India
Proceedings of the Indian National Science Academy, 2018
The economic risk from and social vulnerability to riverine floods in India is one of the highest, if not the highest, in the world, with millions of people exposed and vulnerable, and billions of rupees worth of property and infrastructure at risk. Between 1953 and 2011, the total number of human lives lost to floods was 97,551 and the total economic cost of floods in India was 4.506x10 12 INR (6912x10 7 USD) in 2017 prices. Embankments have been the dominant flood protection scheme, or Disaster Risk Reduction strategy, since Independence and despite the heroic construction of tens of thousands of embankments to protect lives and property from floods, economic damage continues to rise, even when normalized for inflation to take account of increasing wealth and therefore an increase in the amount of property that can be damaged. Explanations of this apparent paradox vary, but appear to centre on breaches in embankments, incomplete embankments, sedimentation in channels because of embankments and therefore deeper and more dangerous floods, human encroachment onto floodplains partly as a result of 'the levee effect' whereby people feel safe in the presence of embankments, and the displacement of traditional coping mechanisms by government initiatives. While governments, NGOs, and academics have often discussed non-structural DRR, and some is in place, there has been little development of this approach to more completely complement structural interventions to reduce deaths and damage. A workshop of flood management practitioners and analysts in February 2017 produced a set of recommendations for a more robust form of DRR for India, and they are presented as a contribution to at least moderate what has become an existential crisis for many Indians.