Flood in Mahanadi Delta Stage II Area -- A Case Study

Abstract

Mahanadi delta stage II area is affected by flood every year.From the flood data ( 1964 - 1992 ) it shows that every year flood exceeded than 6 lakh cusecs except the floods in 1965 ,1966 , 1987 , 1988 ,1989 .In stage II area there exists low level flood escapes at the head of the doabs .These escapes starts functioning at different stages of undivided floods in Mahanadi at Naraj starting with 16990 cumecs(6 lakh cusecs) to about 25,485 cumecs (9 lakh cusecs) . In the process the delta stage II irrigated area gets dose of flood when the Mahanadi flood has not attained any unsafe value from embankment point of view . Therefore even after the lapse of 25 years from the commencement of irrigation , the stage II area is not protected against river floods . Once the flood water enter the doabs , it is not easily drained out and causes flood ,drainage problem and water logging in stage II command area .Structural measures like Naraj barrage and different types of embankments can mitigate the floods upto 10 lakh cusecs .But It has been seen that in the post Hirakud period upto 1992 the flood has exceeded 10 lakh cusecs seven times . As the flood cannot be predicted so non structural measures are also to be advocated to mitigate flood damage .