1. ABOUT
• Assam is a state in northeastern India, with an extent
of and 22°19' to 28°16' North Latitude and 89°42' to
96°30' East Longitude. The State has a total area of
78,438 Sq Km and is surrounded on three sides by the
Naga-Patkai and Eastern Himalayan foothill ranges.
• Assam can be divided into three broad
physiographical units:
1) the Brahmaputra valley in the north,
2) the Central Hilly Regions of Karbi- Anglong and
North Cachar and
3) the Barak Valley in the south.
• It generally has a northerly slope, with average
elevations ranging from about 450 -1000 m.
2. Left Bank
Tributaries
Right Bank
Tributaries
Siang river Subansiri river
Dibang river Kameng river
Lohit river Manas river
Burhi Dihing
river
Sankosh river
Dhansiri river Raidak river
Kopili river Jaldhaka river
• Left bank tributaries have common features
like flatter grades, fine alluvial soils, low silt
charge, and deep meandering channels.
• Right bank tributaries have common
features like steep slope, coarse sandy
beds, shallow braided channels, and heavy
silt charge.
3. • It has 31 districts with Dispur as capital.
• The annual rainfall ranges from 2600 mm to 3200 mm.
Rainfall generally begins from April and continues till
the end of September. The rainfall generally increases
from southeast to northeast. July is the rainiest month.
• Assam has agro based economy with About 61 per
cent of the total population is engaged in
agricultural activities.
• It helps the farmers in cultivation of their lands by way
of irrigation as well as acts as a means of water
transport.
• About 22 districts earning their livelihood and
dependent on the river either as fishermen, boatmen or
as daily labourers. Besides that, numbers of industries
also use the river for discharge of their
industrial effluents.
• Moreover, the Brahmaputra River led Assam to sustain
its World Heritage sites and Mega Biodiversity hotspots and
has been aptly coined as the ‘Life Line’ of Assam.
4. INTRODUCTION
• Despite having a favorable effect on people's economic circumstances,
it also has numerous adverse effects. It has gained renown for its
terrifying yearly flood and erosion threats, which cause havoc every
year, destroy the area's delicate agro-economic foundation, and harm
the river's banks.
• Assam is prone to natural disasters like flood and erosion which has a
negative impact. Brahmaputra is braided and unstable in its entire
reach in Assam except for a few places. The main reasons behind the
instability of the river are high sedimentation and steep slopes.
• The Brahmaputra and Barak River with more than 50 numbers of
tributaries feeding them, causes the flood devastation in the monsoon
period each year.
• The flood prone area of the state as assessed by the Rastriya Barh
Ayog (RBA) is 31.05 Lakh Hectares against the total area of state
78.523 Lakh Hectares i.e. about. 39.58 % of the total land area of
Assam.
• Hence Assam has faced major floods since 1950. Almost every year
three to four waves of flood ravage the flood prone areas of Assam.
5. 2015 Flood
• 2015 Assam floods were at the end
of August
• This was triggered by heavy rainfall
in Arunanchal pradesh and Upper
Assam.
• Water in the rivers has crossed
danger level at Brahmaputra:
Nematighat (Jorhat), Tezpur
(Sonitpur), Dhubri, Jia Bharali at N.T.
Road Xing (Sonitpur), Puthimari at
N.T. Road Xing (Kamrup), Manas at
NH road Xing (Barpeta), Sankosh at
Golokganj (Dhubri) and Kushiyara at
karimganj (Karimganj).
6. • The 2015 flood started around
18.08.2015 and lasted till
10.09.2015
• 19 districts of Assam were
affected.
• Dhemaji, Kokrajhar, Chirang,
Lakhimpur, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh,
Bongaigaon, Sivasagar, Nalbari,
Sonitpur, Barpeta,
Jorhat, Goalpara, Morigaon,
Dhubri, Kamrup, Golaghat,
Darrang and Nagaon were the
districts being mostly affected.
7. Most number of villages were affected in Kokrajhar(256)
followed by Dhemaji (143) and Barpeta(112)
In Kokrajhar, the total crop area impacted was highest, at
roughly 16,027 hectares.
One person died in Chirang and two others perished in
Kokrajhar.
About 5,76,537 people in all of Assam's districts were
reportedly affected.
There was embankment breach at 3 places: Kokrajahr,
Chirang, Barpeta
Impact till 22nd August,2015
A villager rescues his sheep on a
makeshift raft at Balimukh village,
about 70 km east of Guwahati, on Aug
21.
8. Impact till 9th September, 2015
Over 50 people have died and 1.5 million impacted in
Assam’s latest floods
Four rivers were flowing above danger levels as of Sept. 08
(Brahmaputa, Dhansiri, Jia Bharali and Kopili) , according to
the Assam State Disaster Management Authority.
About 92,820 hectares of crop area has been hit.
In all, 241 relief camps and centres have been set up, with
92,806 people already seeking refuge.
Many roads were flooded in several districts and one bridge
was submerged in Darrang.
Villagers use a makeshift banana raft to cross
floodwaters as they try to reach safer areas at
Gagolmari village, 85 kilometres east of Guwahati,
on Sept. 02.
9. • A total of 1016 individuals
were evacuated by boats and
helicopters from various
districts while relief centers
were formed by the
government to provide
people with rice, Dal, Salt
and Oil.
10. Why Assam faces flood every year?
• Assam is one of the most flood-prone states in India and it has almost become an annual calamity.
• Every year, the rainy season brings destruction. According to the Assam government, the flood-prone
area of the state is 31.05 lakh hectares, – this means nearly 40% of the state’s area is flood-prone.
• Assam is home to many rivers, including the Brahmaputra and Barak River, and their tributaries. Assam
also receives river water from Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya.
• Factors causing flood:-
1. Encroachment of river banks and wetlands
2. Lack of drainage
3. Unplanned urban growth
4. Hill cutting and deforestation.
5. The dams that are being built
11. • Bank erosion caused by the river Brahmaputra is one of the major reasons why Assam gets flooded
every year.
• It means the removal of soil, sediment, or rock fragments along the banks, which results from high
water flow.
• Due to erosion, the width of the river increases and it changes its course. According to the Assam
government, more than 4.27 lakh hectares of land, which is 7.40 % area of the state, has been
eroded by the river Brahmaputra and its tributaries since 1950.
12. 2016 Flood
• The 2016 floods were caused
by large rains over the
Northeastern Indian state of
Assam.
• The state of Assam faced around
60% more rains than it received in
July 2015.
Date: July 1 to August 4, 2016
Type: Landslide, River flood
Cause: Extreme rainfall for a Long-
term.
13. • River level- Overflowing
Brahmaputra River - July 5 to July 6, 2016
CWC reported on 05 July that the Brahmaputra River is flowing close to or above danger levels
in around 16 locations, including Goalpara and Tezpur.
• River level- 30.77 metres
Sankosh at Golokganj, Dhubri - July 27 to July 27, 2016
Orange level alert from CWC( India’s Central Water Commission)
Highest recorded level of the Sankosh at Golokganj is 30.95 metres in September 2007.
• River level- 45.82 metres
Beki River at Beki Road bridge, Barpeta - July 27 to July 27, 2016
Orange alert
• River level- 66.22 metres
Brahmaputra River at Tezpur, Sonitpur - July 27 to July 27, 2016
Orange alert (Orange level is issued when the river level is flowing within 0.5 m of High
Flood)
14. • Till 26th July 2016, the most affected districts were; Barpeta, Dhubri (2,52,200),
Jorhat (1,88,645), Dhemaji (1,85,550), Golaghat (1,19,401), Bongaigaon (1,15,061),
Lakhimpur(1,05,811), Goalpara (88,708), Biswanath (78,817), Dibrugarh (75,048),
Darang (73,850) and Morigaon (71,647).
27/07/2016
15. IMPACT
• Affected( July 1 to July 29, 2016) - 1,794,554
• Fatalities (till 1st August) - 34 people
• Buildings destroyed (July 1 to July 26, 2016) - 868 buildings
• Mobile phone networks, along with power transmission, have been
hampered in many areas.
• Around 4,90,000 acres of farming land was affected by the floods.
• The Assam Branch Indian Tea Association has estimated a 21-30% crop loss
of Assam tea.
• The floods have affected the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary and the Kaziranga
National Park, a World Heritage Site.
• As of 2 August 2016, around 300 wild animals have been reported to have
drowned, while around 81 percent of the Kaziranga National Park was under
water.
16. RESCUE WORK
• People Evacuated (July 1 to July 29, 2016) -
229,544
• As of 29 July, 517 relief camps and 186 relief
distribution centers were made.
• Various schools were used as relief
camps. National Disaster Response Force took
up the relief works.
• An NGO named "Save the Children" worked for
the rehabilitation of children and their families in
the three districts
of Dhemaji, Lakhimpur and Majuli.
• Seven public-sector oil companies including Oil
and Natural Gas Corporation, Indian Oil
Corporation, donated a total of ₹15
crore (US$1.9 million) towards Chief Minister's
Relief Fund.
17. 2017 North East Flood
• The 2017 Northeast India
floods were caused by
overflowing of Brahmaputra
river in Assam in July 2017
affecting four Indian states:
Assam, Arunachal Pradesh,
Nagaland and Manipur.
• 1st wave affected 3 districts
in Assam.
• By 30 June, 95,000 people
were affected, with most of
them in Karimganj
18. Summary of 1st wave (June 4 to June 18, 2017)
ASSAM
• Flooding Cause: Long-term rainfall
• River level- 15.72 metres
Kushiyara at Karimganj - June 5 to June 5, 2017
Warning level: 13.94 Danger level: 14.94 Highest Flood Level(HFL): 16.57
• River level- 21.9 metres
Katakhal at Annapurnaghat - June 5 to June 5, 2017
Warning level: 19.27 Danger level: 20.27 Highest Flood Level(HFL): 22.73
• River level -64.78 metres
Brahmaputra at Kampur - June 5 to June 5, 2017
Warning level: 64.23 Danger level: 65.23 Highest Flood Level(HFL): 66.59
DAMAGES:
• People Affected- 60,000 (June 4 to June 5, 2017)
• Evacuated- 113 people (Lakhimpur - June 4 to June 5, 2017)
19. Summary of 2nd wave (Late June to July end)
• Type- River Flooding and Landslide
• Cause- Long-term rainfall
• States affected: Assam, Arunachal Pradesh
• By mid July, flooding affected over 20 districts: Jorhat, Golaghat, Cachar, Dhemjai,
Biswanath, Karimganj, Barpeta, Karbi Anglong, Sinotpur, Darrang, Hojai, Majuli, Lakhimpur,
Kokrajhar and Nagaon.
Districts Late June Early July Mid July
North Lakhimpur 200mm 270mm 198mm
Tezpur 133mm 111mm 75mm
Dibrugarh 58.8mm 84mm 74mm
Average Rainfall in Assam in 2017
ASSAM
20. • Fatalities - 76 people
• Evacuated- 48,483
July 12 to July 12, 2017
Over 4,000 of those displaced
were in Lakhimpur; 5,500 in
Kokrajhar and 5,600 in Golaghat.
• Crop damage- 140,837
• River level- 65.47 metres (DL 65.23 m)
Brahmaputra river, Tezpur - July 14, 2017
• River level- 29.51 metres (DL 28.62m)
Brahmaputra river at Dhubri - July 14, 2017
• River level-36.61 metres(DL 36.27m)
Brahmaputra river at Goalpara - July 14, 2017
• River level-15.31 metres(DL 14.94 m)
Kushiyara at Karimganj - July 14, 2017
RIVER LEVEL DAMAGES
ARUNACHAL PRADESH
• Heavy rains affected Arunachal Pradesh in July of 2017.
• At around 15:00 local time on 11 July a massive landslide in the village of
Laptap (Papumpare district) buried houses and inhabitants.
• At least 14 people died.
21. MANIPUR(2nd July,2017)
• Type – Flash flood and Landslide
• Cause- Torrential rains
• Areas affected- Imphal valley
• River overflowed- Nambul
Damages:-
• Imphal river bank collapsed(Bashikhong in
Imphal East district)
• Houses affected – 300
• Several farmlands inundated
• Landslide on Imphal-Ukhrul road and NH-2
22. ASSAM
• Type and Cause- River flood, Extreme Long-term rainfall
Summary of 3rd wave(August - September )
• River level- 66.12 metres(Danger Level is 65.23 m)
Brahmaputra at Tezpur in Sonitpur - August 14, 2017
• River level- 86 metres(Danger Level is 65.23 m)
Brahmaputra at Neamatighat, Jorhat - August 14, 2017
• River level-15.33 metres(Danger level is 14.94 m.)
The Kushiyara river at Karimganj (Karimganj district)
• Evacuated- 183,584
Fatalities- 82 people
• Affected-1,800,000
August 10 to August 21, 2017
23. NAGALAND
• Cause – Heavy Rainfall on 31st July and
1st August, narrow drainage in Dimapur.
• District affected- Dimapur, Kohima and
Peren
• The flood damaged houses, roads and left
many people troubled in several places of
Dimapur and adjoining areas,
including Ekhyo Yan, Kushiabill, Toulazou
ma village, Khopanullaand Thaheku block
seven etc.
• Household affected – 1500-1600
• Relief Fund – 700 crore from the center
