Disaster Awareness Centre Kashmir, is
a core group initiated by esro Kashmir Environment Node in
association with International Disaster Mitigation Centre to enhance
the capabilities of the community for disaster Awareness. DAC is to
produce manuals and guidelines; formulate policy and disaster
Awareness strategy proposals to reduce death and sufferings due to
earthquakes and other natural hazards in the world's most vulnerable
regional (Kashmir) through advocacy, preparedness, prevention and
mitigation.
FLOODS
HAZARDS AND DISASTERS
FLOODS
– is a temporary
inundation of large regions as the result of an increase in
reservoir, or of rivers flooding their banks because of heavy
rains, high winds, cyclones, storm surge along coast, tsunami,
melting snow or dam bursts.
Onset Type
: Floods may happen
gradually and take hours, or can even happen suddenly due to
breach of the structures, spillover etc. heavy downpour can
cause flash floods in the region.
Warning
: Flood forecasting and warning has become highly developed in
the past two decades. With the advancement in the technology
such as satellite and remote-sensing equipments flood waves can
be tracked as they move downwards. Except for flash floods there
is usually a reasonable warning period. Heavy precipitation will
give sufficient warning of the coming river flood. High tides
with high winds may indicate flooding in the coastal areas.
Evacuation is possible with suitable monitoring and warning.
Warning is issued by the Central Water Commission (CWC),
Irrigation & Flood Control Department, and Water Resources
Department. Flood forecasting activities started by CWC has
about 132 Forecasting Stations to cover most of the interstate
flood prone rivers besides inflow forecasts for 25 major
reservoirs of the country. Over 6000 forecasts are issued by CWC
every year with about 95% of the forecasts falling within the
permissible range. CWC maintains close liaison with esro Kashmir
Node , the administrative and state engineering agencies, local
civil authorities to communicate advance warning for appropriate
mitigation and preparedness measures.
Flash floods defined as floods which occurs within six hours of
the beginning of heavy rainfall, and are usually associated with
cloud bursts, storms and cyclones requiring rapid localized
warnings and immediate response if damage is to be mitigated.
Wireless network and telephone connections are used to monitor
flood conditions. In case of flash floods, warnings for timely
evacuation may not always be possible.
Elements at Risk
: Anything in the flood plains will get inundated. Buildings
built of earth, weak foundations and water soluble materials
will collapse endangering humans and their property. Basements
of buildings are under risk. Utilities such as sewerage, water
supply, communication lines, and power are put at risk. Food
stock in the godowns, agricultural fields, salt pans, livestock,
vehicles, machinery and equipments mounted on the ground,
fishing boats are also put at risk.
Hazard Zones
: The Vulnerability Atlas of Kashmir shows pictorially the areas
liable to floods. The flood hazard map is based on the Flood
Atlas brought out by the Central Water Commission, state wise
marking both the areas which are liable to flooding as well as
those which have been protected. The maps given in the
Vulnerability Atlas of Kashmir show the district boundaries and
the location of the district towns along with the rivers
district wise identification of vulnerable areas will be easy.
Besides the problems of flooding in the river plains, heavy
intensity rains could cause local; flooding in certain areas
where the drainage is either naturally poor or the drains are
choked due to various reasons such as careless dumping of refuse
in the drains and lack of maintenance.
Typical Effects
Physical damage – structures damaged or collapsed by washing
waters, landslide triggered on account of water getting
saturated. Boats and fishing equipments may be lost or damaged
in coastal areas.
Casualties and pubic health – people and livestock deaths caused
by drowning, very few serious injuries. Outbreak of epidemics,
diarrhea, viral infections, malaria.
Water supplies – contamination of water (wells, ground water,
piped water supply). Clean water may be unavailable.
Crops and food supplies – sudden food shortage can be caused due
to loss of entire harvest, spoiling of grains when saturated in
water along with loss of animal fodder. The crop storage
facilities and godowns may get submerged resulting in immediate
food shortage. Floods may also affect the soil characteristics.
The land may be rendered infertile due to erosion of top layer
or may turn saline if sea water floods the area.
Reducing Hazards :
Embankments along the rivers may keep water away from the flood
plains.
Water flow can be regularized through construction of the
reservoirs, check dams, alternate drainage channels/routes,
increasing vegetation cover and by providing storm drains.
1
Basic Safety Precautions
Listen to radio/TV for the latest weather bulletins and flood
warnings. Pass on the information to others.
Make a family emergency kit which should include : a portable
radio/transistor, torch, spare batteries, a first aid box along
with essential medicines, ORS, dry food items, drinking water,
matchboxes, candles and other
essential items.
Keep hurricane lamp, ropes, rubber tubes, umbrella and bamboo
stick in your house.
Keep cash, important documents etc in a safe place.
If there is a flood, move along with your family members and
cattle to safe areas like relief camps, evacuated centres,
elevated grounds where you can take shelter.
Turn off power and gas connections before leaving your home.
During Floods :
Don't
enter into flood waters: it could be dangerous.
Don't allow children's to play in or near flood waters.
Stay away from sewerage line, gutters, drains, culverts etc.
Be careful of snakes; snakebites are common during floods.
Stay away from electric poles and fallen power lines
to avoid electrocution.
Don't use wet electrical appliances-get them checked before use.
Eat freshly cooked and dry food. Always keep your food covered .
Use boiled and filtered drinking water.
Keep all drains, gutters near your house clean.
COMMUNITY BASED
MITIGATION :
Sedimentation clearance,
reforestation programme, dike and flood wall construction can be
taken as part of the community based mitigation programme. The
community can participate in flood fighting by organizing work
parties to repair embankments, pile sandbags and stockpile
needed materials. Farming practices have to be flood compatible.
Special varieties of seeds are available which can be harvested
during the flood season. Houses constructed need to be flood
resistant and multipurpose shelter should be constructed by the
community. Banks of the earth can be raised and it can give
shelter to the community as well as the livestock during the
time of floods.
DAC
KASHMIR PROJECTS & MAIN MITIGATION STRATEGIES
Mapping of the flood
prone areas is a primary step involved in reducing the risk of
the region. Historical records give the indication of the flood
inundation areas and the period of occurrence and the extent of
the coverage. The basic map is combined with other maps and data
to form a complete image of the floodplain. Warning can be
issued looking into the earlier marked heights of the water
levels in case of potential threat. In the coastal areas the
tide levels and the land characteristics will determine the
submergence areas. Flood hazard mapping will give the proper
indication of water flow during floods.
Land use control will
reduce danger of life and property when waters inundate the
floodplains and the coastal areas. The number of casualties is
related to the population in the area at risk. It’s better to
reduce the densities in areas where neighborhoods are to be
developed. In areas where people already have built their
settlements, measures should be taken to relocate to better
sites so as to reduce vulnerability. No major development should
be permitted in the areas which are subjected to high flooding.
Important facilities should be built in safe areas. In urban
areas, water holding areas can be created in ponds, lakes or
low-lying areas.
Construction of engineered structures in the flood plains and
strengthening of structures to withstand flood forces and
seepage. The buildings should be constructed on a elevated area.
If necessary build on stilts or platform.
Flood Control aims to reduce flood damage. This can be done by
Flood Reduction by decreasing the amount of runoff by treatment
like reforestation (to increase absorption could be a mitigation
strategy in certain areas), protection of vegetation, clearing
of debris from streams and other water holding areas,
conservation of ponds and lakes etc. Flood Diversion include
levees, embankments, dams and channel improvement. Dams can
store water and can release water at a manageable rate. But
failure of dams in earthquakes and operation of releasing the
water can cause floods in the lower areas. Flood Proofing
reduces the risk of damage. Measures include use of sand bags to
keep flood water away, blocking or sealing of doors and windows
of houses etc. Houses may be elevated by building on raised
land. Buildings should be constructed away from water bodies.
Flood Management In Kashmir, systematic planning for flood
management commenced with the Five Year Plans, particularly with
the launching of National Programme of Flood Management in 1954.
During the last 48 years, different methods of flood protection
structural as well as non-structural have been adopted in
different states depending upon the nature of the problem and
local conditions. Structural measures include storage
reservoirs, flood embankments, drainage channels, anti-erosion
works, channel improvement works, detention basins etc. and
non-structural measures include flood forecasting, flood plain
zoning, flood proofing, disaster preparedness etc. The flood
management measures undertaken so far have provided reasonable
degree of protection. Flood Management In Kashmir, systematic
planning for flood management commenced with the Five Year
Plans, particularly with the launching of National Programme of
Flood Management in 1954. During the last 48 years, different
methods of flood protection structural as well as non-structural
have been adopted in different states depending upon the nature
of the problem and local conditions. Structural measures include
storage reservoirs, flood embankments, drainage channels,
anti-erosion works, channel improvement works, detention basins
etc. and non-structural measures include flood forecasting,
flood plain zoning, flood proofing, disaster preparedness etc.
The flood management measures undertaken so far have provided
reasonable degree of protection.
eIEN South Asia
Western Himalaya Kashmir
DAC KASHMIR
seeking human survival through preparedness ..
esrokashmir.org
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DAC
eIEN South Asia
Western Himalaya Kashmir
Disaster Awareness Centre Kashmir, is a core group initiated by esro Kashmir Environment Node in association with International Disaster Mitigation Centre to enhance the capabilities of the community for disaster Awareness. DAC is to produce manuals and guidelines; formulate policy and disaster Awareness strategy proposals to reduce death and sufferings due to earthquakes and other natural hazards in the world's most vulnerable regional (Kashmir) through advocacy, preparedness, prevention and mitigation.
FLOODS
HAZARDS AND DISASTERS
FLOODS – is a temporary inundation of large regions as the result of an increase in reservoir, or of rivers flooding their banks because of heavy rains, high winds, cyclones, storm surge along coast, tsunami, melting snow or dam bursts.
Onset Type : Floods may happen gradually and take hours, or can even happen suddenly due to breach of the structures, spillover etc. heavy downpour can cause flash floods in the region.
Warning : Flood forecasting and warning has become highly developed in the past two decades. With the advancement in the technology such as satellite and remote-sensing equipments flood waves can be tracked as they move downwards. Except for flash floods there is usually a reasonable warning period. Heavy precipitation will give sufficient warning of the coming river flood. High tides with high winds may indicate flooding in the coastal areas. Evacuation is possible with suitable monitoring and warning. Warning is issued by the Central Water Commission (CWC), Irrigation & Flood Control Department, and Water Resources Department. Flood forecasting activities started by CWC has about 132 Forecasting Stations to cover most of the interstate flood prone rivers besides inflow forecasts for 25 major reservoirs of the country. Over 6000 forecasts are issued by CWC every year with about 95% of the forecasts falling within the permissible range. CWC maintains close liaison with esro Kashmir Node , the administrative and state engineering agencies, local civil authorities to communicate advance warning for appropriate mitigation and preparedness measures.
Flash floods defined as floods which occurs within six hours of the beginning of heavy rainfall, and are usually associated with cloud bursts, storms and cyclones requiring rapid localized warnings and immediate response if damage is to be mitigated. Wireless network and telephone connections are used to monitor flood conditions. In case of flash floods, warnings for timely evacuation may not always be possible.
Elements at Risk : Anything in the flood plains will get inundated. Buildings built of earth, weak foundations and water soluble materials will collapse endangering humans and their property. Basements of buildings are under risk. Utilities such as sewerage, water supply, communication lines, and power are put at risk. Food stock in the godowns, agricultural fields, salt pans, livestock, vehicles, machinery and equipments mounted on the ground, fishing boats are also put at risk.
Hazard Zones : The Vulnerability Atlas of Kashmir shows pictorially the areas liable to floods. The flood hazard map is based on the Flood Atlas brought out by the Central Water Commission, state wise marking both the areas which are liable to flooding as well as those which have been protected. The maps given in the Vulnerability Atlas of Kashmir show the district boundaries and the location of the district towns along with the rivers district wise identification of vulnerable areas will be easy. Besides the problems of flooding in the river plains, heavy intensity rains could cause local; flooding in certain areas where the drainage is either naturally poor or the drains are choked due to various reasons such as careless dumping of refuse in the drains and lack of maintenance.
Typical Effects
Physical damage – structures damaged or collapsed by washing waters, landslide triggered on account of water getting saturated. Boats and fishing equipments may be lost or damaged in coastal areas.
Casualties and pubic health – people and livestock deaths caused by drowning, very few serious injuries. Outbreak of epidemics, diarrhea, viral infections, malaria.
Water supplies – contamination of water (wells, ground water, piped water supply). Clean water may be unavailable.
Crops and food supplies – sudden food shortage can be caused due to loss of entire harvest, spoiling of grains when saturated in water along with loss of animal fodder. The crop storage facilities and godowns may get submerged resulting in immediate food shortage. Floods may also affect the soil characteristics. The land may be rendered infertile due to erosion of top layer or may turn saline if sea water floods the area.
Reducing Hazards : Embankments along the rivers may keep water away from the flood plains . Water flow can be regularized through construction of the reservoirs, check dams, alternate drainage channels/routes, increasing vegetation cover and by providing storm drains.
Basic Safety Precautions
Listen to radio/TV for the latest weather bulletins and flood warnings. Pass on the information to others.
Make a family emergency kit which should include : a portable radio/transistor, torch, spare batteries, a first aid box along with essential medicines, ORS, dry food items, drinking water, matchboxes, candles and other essential items.
Keep hurricane lamp, ropes, rubber tubes, umbrella and bamboo stick in your house.
Keep cash, important documents etc in a safe place.
If there is a flood, move along with your family members and cattle to safe areas like relief camps, evacuated centres, elevated grounds where you can take shelter.
Turn off power and gas connections before leaving your home.
During Floods :
Don't enter into flood waters: it could be dangerous.
Don't allow children's to play in or near flood waters.
Stay away from sewerage line, gutters, drains, culverts etc.
Be careful of snakes; snakebites are common during floods.
Stay away from electric poles and fallen power lines to avoid electrocution.
Don't use wet electrical appliances-get them checked before use.
Eat freshly cooked and dry food. Always keep your food covered .
Use boiled and filtered drinking water.
Keep all drains, gutters near your house clean.
COMMUNITY BASED MITIGATION :
Sedimentation clearance, reforestation programme, dike and flood wall construction can be taken as part of the community based mitigation programme. The community can participate in flood fighting by organizing work parties to repair embankments, pile sandbags and stockpile needed materials. Farming practices have to be flood compatible. Special varieties of seeds are available which can be harvested during the flood season. Houses constructed need to be flood resistant and multipurpose shelter should be constructed by the community. Banks of the earth can be raised and it can give shelter to the community as well as the livestock during the time of floods.
DAC KASHMIR PROJECTS & MAIN MITIGATION STRATEGIESMapping of the flood prone areas is a primary step involved in reducing the risk of the region. Historical records give the indication of the flood inundation areas and the period of occurrence and the extent of the coverage. The basic map is combined with other maps and data to form a complete image of the floodplain. Warning can be issued looking into the earlier marked heights of the water levels in case of potential threat. In the coastal areas the tide levels and the land characteristics will determine the submergence areas. Flood hazard mapping will give the proper indication of water flow during floods.
Land use control will reduce danger of life and property when waters inundate the floodplains and the coastal areas. The number of casualties is related to the population in the area at risk. It’s better to reduce the densities in areas where neighborhoods are to be developed. In areas where people already have built their settlements, measures should be taken to relocate to better sites so as to reduce vulnerability. No major development should be permitted in the areas which are subjected to high flooding. Important facilities should be built in safe areas. In urban areas, water holding areas can be created in ponds, lakes or low-lying areas.
Construction of engineered structures in the flood plains and strengthening of structures to withstand flood forces and seepage. The buildings should be constructed on a elevated area. If necessary build on stilts or platform.
Flood Control aims to reduce flood damage. This can be done by Flood Reduction by decreasing the amount of runoff by treatment like reforestation (to increase absorption could be a mitigation strategy in certain areas), protection of vegetation, clearing of debris from streams and other water holding areas, conservation of ponds and lakes etc. Flood Diversion include levees, embankments, dams and channel improvement. Dams can store water and can release water at a manageable rate. But failure of dams in earthquakes and operation of releasing the water can cause floods in the lower areas. Flood Proofing reduces the risk of damage. Measures include use of sand bags to keep flood water away, blocking or sealing of doors and windows of houses etc. Houses may be elevated by building on raised land. Buildings should be constructed away from water bodies.
Flood Management In Kashmir, systematic planning for flood management commenced with the Five Year Plans, particularly with the launching of National Programme of Flood Management in 1954. During the last 48 years, different methods of flood protection structural as well as non-structural have been adopted in different states depending upon the nature of the problem and local conditions. Structural measures include storage reservoirs, flood embankments, drainage channels, anti-erosion works, channel improvement works, detention basins etc. and non-structural measures include flood forecasting, flood plain zoning, flood proofing, disaster preparedness etc. The flood management measures undertaken so far have provided reasonable degree of protection. Flood Management In Kashmir, systematic planning for flood management commenced with the Five Year Plans, particularly with the launching of National Programme of Flood Management in 1954. During the last 48 years, different methods of flood protection structural as well as non-structural have been adopted in different states depending upon the nature of the problem and local conditions. Structural measures include storage reservoirs, flood embankments, drainage channels, anti-erosion works, channel improvement works, detention basins etc. and non-structural measures include flood forecasting, flood plain zoning, flood proofing, disaster preparedness etc. The flood management measures undertaken so far have provided reasonable degree of protection.