Floods Challenges and its Management

Case Study of Gujarat Floods - 2017

Floods Challenges and its Management
Case Study of Gujarat Floods - 2017

2021

National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM)

(Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India )
Floods Challenges and its Management : Case Study of Gujarat Floods – 2017

ISBN No.: 978-81-955009-4-9

© NIDM, Delhi

Edition: 2021

Authors :

Prof. Surya Parkash

Dr. Harjeet Kaur
Major General Manoj Kumar Bindal, VSM
Dr. Raju Thapa
Mr Anil Kathait

Published by :

National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM),

Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, Delhi-110042

Citation :

Parkash, S., Kaur, H., Bindal, M.K., Thapa, R. and Kathait, A. (2021). Floods Challenges
and its Management: Case Study of Gujarat Flood – 2017. National Institute of Disaster
Management, Delhi, India. Pages 76 Nos.

Disclaimer :

This document may be freely reviewed, reproduced or translated, in part or whole,

purely on non-profit basis for humanitarian, social and environmental well-being. We
welcome receiving information and suggestions on its adaptation or use in actual
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will not be responsible for any false or wrong information that may go
unintended/ignorantly in the document.

The document can be downloaded from https://www.nidm.gov.in

 jk"Vªh; vkink izca/ku laLFkku
Maj. Gen. Manoj Kumar Bindal ¼x‘g ea=kky;] Hkkjr ljdkj½
VSM National Institute of Disaster Management
Executive Director
Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India
Plot No. 15, Pocket-3, Block-B, Sector 29, Rohini, Delhi - 110 042

FOREWORD
India has very high exposure to flooding including riverine, flash and coastal
flooding. It has been a recurrent phenomenon in India and causes huge losses to lives,
properties, livelihoods systems, infrastructure and public utilities. Out of the total
geographical area of 329 mha, more than 40 mha is flood prone. The deadliest flooding
events from 2000 to 2019 were the June 2013 floods in India (6,054 deaths) (UNISIDAR).

This document focuses on Gujarat floods 2017; identify the causes, improve
planning and preparedness, strengthen early warning systems. Almost all part of Gujarat
state is prone to floods (NDMA). According to the IMD, from 01st to 28th July, 2017, the state
st
received about 559.4 mm of rainfall, as against the average of 339.6 mm between July 1 and
th
28 which shows exceptionally heavy rainfall during 2017. In the history of 112 years, it was
the heaviest rainfall in the affected area of Banaskantha and Sabarkantha district. This led to
a very heavy inflow into the dams and consequent flooding in large parts of the State with
Aravalli, Banaskantha, Morbi, Patan and Surendra Nagar districts among the worst affected.
The 2017 Gujarat floods resulted in the loss of lives, livestock, crops, durable assets, and
damage to public and private infrastructure.

With the implementation of PM 10 Point Agenda no. 9, the document is prepared to

understand the best practices and lessons learned to improve the policy and disaster
governance.

I express my deep appreciation to Prof. Surya Parkash, Head GMR Division and his
team for preparing this document. We are sure that this study will help other State
Governments plan flood preparedness, response and rehabilitation efforts.

(Manoj Kumar Bindal)

i
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I take this opportunity to thank Maj. Gen. Manoj Kumar Bindal, ED NIDM for his
unwavering support to carry out the case study on Gujarat floods 2017 as well as to other
initiatives towards Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR).

My special thanks to Lt. Col. Dinesh Chander Vashista Joint Director, NIDM for his
constant support in conducting this study including the field visit.

I acknowledge the support and cooperation extended by the Government of Gujarat

in our efforts to document the best practices adopted during the 2017 floods.

My sincere thanks to Shri P. K. Taneja, Director General, Gujarat Institute of Disaster

Management (GIDM), Shri. Harshadkumar R Patel, IAS, Chief Executive Officer, Gujarat
State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA) and their staff for arranging site visits as
well as facilitate our interaction with officials, affected community members and other
stakeholders, without which this study could not have been completed.

I thank Shri Victor Mecwan, IAS, Additional Chief Executive Officer, Gujarat State
Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA) and Dr Pavan Kumar, Joint Advisor, NDMA for
reviewing the document and whose comments/suggestions helped improve and clarify this
document.

Sincere thanks to co-author Dr. Harjeet Kaur, Junior Consultant NIDM who made
every effort to collect, compile, analyse and assess all available information on Gujarat
floods 2017 and helped in the preparation and finalization of this document.

My special thanks are due to the GMRD team members Mr. Pranav Dhawan,
Former Consultant Flood Monitoring Cell, NIDM; Dr. Raju Thapa, JC NIDM; Mr. Anil Kathait,
JC NIDM; Mr Ritesh Singhal, Stenographer and NIDM publication team without which it
would not have been possible in the preparation of this document completed.

Last but not the least, I would like to thank my wife Reeta and daughter Rasika,
without whose consistent moral and logistic support, I would not have been able to give due
attention and time to this work.

Finally, I am grateful to the Almighty without whose grace and kindness, I would not
have been capable to carry this task successfully.

Prof. Surya Parkash

Head GMR Division, NIDM
iii
CONTENTS

Foreword i

Acknowledgement iii

1. Introduction 1

2. Field visit 4

3. Study area 4

4. Dams in study area 7

5. Overview of the event 19

6. Damage and loss assessment 22

7. Response and relief 25

8. Rescue operations 27

9. Relief works 29

10. Reasons for the flooding 31

11. Lesson learnt 45

References 62

v
1. Introduction
1.1 Physical and demographic profile of the state Gujarat
The state of Gujarat is situated on the north-west coast of India between
20d6’N - 68d.10’E to 24d.42’N – 74d.25’E, the state is bordered by the Arabian
Sea in the west, Rajasthan in the north and Maharashtra in the south and
south-east. Gujarat shares an international border with Pakistan on the north-
western fringe. The state covers a geographical area of 1,96,000 sq. km and it
has the longest coastline run along 1600 km.
For administrative purposes, Gujarat State has 26 districts, 226 talukas
(talukas /blocks are administrative units within a district), 18,618 villages and
242 cities/towns. The State has a population of over 50 million (5.07 crore) with
a decadal growth rate of 22.66 % compared to the national rate of 21.53 %
(Census of India 20011). Sex ratio stands at 920 females per 1000 males,
lower than the national average of 933. Literacy rate stands at 69.14 %, higher
than the national rate of 64.80 %, with female literacy at 57.80 % and male
literacy at 79.66 %.
1.2 Rainfall
Rainfall in Gujarat varies from place to place - the average rainfall varies from
33 to 152 cm. The northern region receives rainfall ranging from 51 to 102 cm
whereas the southern region receives 76 to 152 cm of rainfall. Rainstorms are
also common at the western edge of the Aravallis and the Satpuras in north
and northeast, which cause flood discharge in Banas, Sabarmati and Mahi
rivers. As these rivers disgorge hilly terrain to flat lands, floodwaters spread out
and damage large populated stretches. Cities like Ahmedabad, Vadodara,
Surat, Bharuch, Navsari and Valsad lie in such flat alluvial plains. Southern
Gujarat is endowed with moderate to high rainfall, with substantial water
resources concentrated in Narmada and Tapi, which have their catchments in
the Central uplands of the Indian peninsula. Occasional heavy rainstorms in
their middle and upper catchments can cause heavy flooding in these river
basins. The arid region around the Rann of Kutch faces an acute scarcity of
water, due to lack of rainfall in these areas.

1
1.3 Hydrogeology
The large alluvial tract extending from Banaskantha district in the north to
Surat and Valsad districts in the south constitutes the largest and most
potential groundwater reservoir in the state. Almost the entire Saurashtra and
Kachchh regions are occupied by a variety of hard and fissured formations
which include basalt and consolidated sedimentary formations with semi-
consolidated sediments along the low-lying coastal areas. The coastal and
deltaic areas in the state form a narrow linear strip and are underlain by
Tertiary sediments and Alluvium.
1.4 Hazard and vulnerability profile of Gujarat
Gujarat is inherently susceptible to riverine and flash floods, cyclones,
earthquakes and droughts. These disasters occur with alarming regularity. Its
coastal terrain, high seismicity due to its location adjacent to the inter-plate
boundary and riverine nature are to a large extent responsible for its multi-
hazard profile. GSDMA prepared Seasonality of hazards matrix by
understanding the approximate occurrence of hazard, the state may remain
prepared for the respective hazards by activating the relevant departments for
the same. Figure1 is indicative of the occurrence of a hazard.

Figure 1: Seasonality of hazards (Source: GSDMA)

2
The climatology of Gujarat is influenced by the Arabian Sea in the West and
three hill ranges along its Eastern border. A long coastline makes parts of arid
Saurashtra and Kutch occasionally experience very high rainfall. These
occasional heavy rainstorms are responsible for most of the floods in the
State. While the Northern part of the State is mostly arid and semi-arid, the
Southern part is humid to sub-humid. Extremes of climate, be it rainfall or
temperatures are quite common in this region. All major rivers in the State pass
through a wide stretch of the very flat terrain before reaching the sea. These
flat lowlands of lower river basins are prone to flooding. Cities like Ahmedabad,
Surat and Bharuch are located on the flat alluvial plains of large rivers.
Concentrated runoff resulted by heavy rainfall cause flash floods in the small
river basin of Saurashtra and Kutch because of their fairly impervious
catchments (rocky or black cotton soils) and steep sloping upper catchments.
The flood prone river sections were identified from settlement level analysis.
Flood prone river sections in Saurashtra extend to the upper basins due to the
presence of dams which have to resort to emergency discharge during heavy
rainstorms. Even small valleys in Saurashtra are used for agriculture. Hence
flooding in these zones impacts both residents and settlements.
The flood risk in Saurashtra is lower than that of the South Gujarat plains. The
relatively flat plains in the lower basic areas with hilly catchments in upper
parts of South Gujarat accentuate flood risks. Few villages in the North Gujarat
are flood prone too.

Figure 2: Flood hazard map of Gujarat (Source: BMPTC Vulnerability Atlas 2nd Edition)
3
2. Field visit
A field trip to Gujarat was planned from 3rd January, 2021 to 10th January, 2021
to understand the impacts of flooding in Gujarat which happened in July, 2017
and the present scenario for flood management in Gujarat (Figure 3). The field
trip included travelling to the affected districts in the state which are
Banaskantha, Pathan, Gandhinagar, Morbi, Surendra Nagar. The NIDM team
included Dr. Surya Parkash (Prof. and Head, GMR Division), Dr. Harjeet Kaur,
Junior Consultant and Mr. Pranav Dhawan, Former Consultant, NIDM.

Figure 3: Road map fallowed for field visit (Source: Google Earth Imagery)

3. Study area
3.1 Banas Basin
3.1.2 Geographical description of the basin :
The Banas basin is the Northern basin and is situated between 23°30’ & 24°55’
North latitudes and 71°15’ to 73°15’ East longitudes approximately. Banas
basin is bordered by Saraswati and Luni basins form the Southern and
Northern and Aravalli hills form its Eastern extremity. The Banas drains an
area of 8674 sq km, out of which nearly 37.69% lies in Rajasthan state and
remaining 62.31% falls in Gujarat state (Austin, 2017).

4
 Table 1: Banas drainage area distribution
Sl. Name of Name of Length of Drainage % of
No. the State the District river (km) area (sq km) total CA
1 Gujarat Banaskantha 119 4638 53.47
2 Rajasthan Sirohi 78 3269 37.69
3 Gujarat Mehasana 69 767 8.84
Total 266 8674 100.00
Table 2: Description of the Water Storage
Sl. Name of River Torage Purpose
No. the Project Capacity (mm3)
1 Sipu Dam Sipu 177.8 156 Irrigation
2 Dantiwada Dam Banas 464 444 Irrigation

Figure 4: Flood forecasting network of Banas river (Source: CWC 2018)

CWC: central water Commission (2018). Hydrological data (unclassified) book
5
3.2 Machchhu Basin
3.2.1 Basin Description
The Machhu basin is geographically located between 22010’ to 230 10’ North
latitude and 70° 40’ to 71° 15’ East longitude. Machhu River rises in the hills of
Jasdan near village Khokhara in Chotila taluk of Surendra Nagar districts at an
elevation of 220 m above m.s.l. This is one of the North flowing rivers of
Saurashtra in Gujarat state. The river Machhu originates from the hill ranges of
Jasdan Sardar and Mandva in Rajkot district and Chotila in Surendra Nagar
district and flows in North Westerly direction along the district boundry of
Surendra Nagar and Rajkot upto village Beti and then flows mostly towards
North in Rajkot district and finally disappears near Malia in the little Rann of
Kachh. Machhu alongwith its tributaries flows 52 % in the hilly area and 48 % in
plain region. Machhu drains an area of 2515 sq km out of which more than 75
% lies in Rajkot district (Austin, 2017).
Table 3: The district wise distribution is shown as below
Name of the District Drainage are (sq km) % of total
Rajkot 1924 76.51
Surendra Nagar 591 23.49
Total 2515 100.00

3.2.2 Major/medium irrigation projects in river basin machhu

At present there are five medium irrigation schemes completed in the
catchment of Machhu 1. Adhia Irrigation Scheme 2. Kuvadva Irrigation
Scheme 3. Ghunda Irrigation Scheme 4. Machhora Irrigation Scheme 5.
Vadsar and Amarsar Irrigation Scheme. There are two important Irrigation
schemes viz Machhu I & Machhu II. Machhu Irrigation Scheme No. 1 is on river
Machhu in Wankaner Taluka of Distt. Rajkot. The Gross storage capacity of
3 3
this dam at FRL is 72.74 MM , having 70.8 MM as effective storage capacity.
Machhu Irrigation Scheme No.2 is on Machhu in Morbi Taluka of Distt. Rajkot.
3 3
The Gross storage capacity of this dam is 100.55 MM , having 90.8 MM as
effective storage capacity.

6
 Figure 5: Machchhu Basin (Source: CWC 2018)

4. Dams in study area

4.3.1 Dantiwada Dam
It is a mud and masonry dam located on the west Banas River near Dantiwada,
Banaskantha district of northern Gujarat. The dam was constructed in 1965 for
flood control and irrigation.
Total number of villages are 111 under command of the Dantiwada Dam, out of
which twelve villages are partially submerged. Total land submerged under the
reservoir includes 2,025 hectares (5,000 acres; 7.82 sq mi) cultivable land;
1,215 hectares (3,000 acres; 4.69 sq mi) forest land and 810 hectares (2,000
acres; 3.1 sq mi) wasteland. In 1973, 8 years after DAM constructed, the
Dantiwada Dam failed.

7
 Figure 6 a & b: Dantiwada dam on the West Banas River near Dantiwada,
Banaskantha district of northern Gujarat in India. (https://banaskantha.nic.in)

Table 4: Salient Features of Dantiwada Dam

1. Name of the project Dantiwada Reservoir Project
2. Location
a. Across River Banas
b. Nearest village Dantiwada
c. Taluka Dantiwada
d. District Banaskantha
e. State Gujarat
f. Geographical location of dam Lat.24◦ - 10’N, Long. 72◦ 29’E
g. Nearest Railway Station Palanpur Station on the Ahmedabad
Delhi Broad guage line W.R 29 km
from Dam site
h. Road Communication 13 km from Palanpur Kandla N.H.14
and 6 km from Deesa-Chitrasani road
and 29 km from Palanpur

8
3. Hydrology
A. Catchment area Sq. Km. Sq. Miles
i. Total catchment area at site 7656 2967.44
ii. Catchment area in Rajasthan territory 1119 433.72
iii. Catchment area in Gujarat territory 6537 2533.72
iv. Catchment area consider for availability Guj – 1742.84 Guj. – 675.51
of water at Dantiwada Dam site Raj. – 119.00 Raj. – 433.72
1861.84 1109.24
v. Net free catchment area available 2861.84 1109.24
at Dharoi for water planning
B. i. Average rainfall in entire catchment mm. Inch
ii. Average rainfall in entire catchment of 530 20.87
Rajasthan
iii. Average rainfall in entire catchment of 973 38.31
Gujarat
iv. Maximum Rainfall in 1997 1969.20 77.53
v. Minimum Rainfall in year 1987 28 (M.abu)
vi. Average Rainfall in year 1869 940
Reservoir Capacity Data mm3 MAFT
i. Design gross capacity @ F.R.L 184.10 464.39 0.376
Revised gross capacity@ F.R.L. 184.10 393.616 0.319
ii. Design dead storage @ RL 161.85 Ft 19.68 0.0159
Revised dead storage@ RL161.85 Ft 6.207 0.005
iii. Design live storage 444.71 3.60
Revised storage 3.87.409 0.314

9
 Details of Dam
River gorge portion 20000 M m Ft
a. Earthern dam L/S.548
R/S286.20 R/S. 1797.44 939
b. Spillway (11 Gate of 41’ x 27) 164.90 541.00
c. Non overflow 113.08 371.00
Table 5: Village under Command
a) District b) Taluka c) No. of villages
Banaskantha Palanpur 18
Dhanera 2
Deesa 31
Kankrej 8
Mehsana Patan 49
Siddhpur 3
Total 111
4.3.2 Sipu Dam
The Sipu reservoir project is located across river Sipu, a tributary of Banas
River near village Atal in Dhanera Taluka of Banaskantha District in north
Gujarat, for irrigating 22080 Ha. area in CCA of 16000 Ha. The dam site is
about 170 Km. from Ahmedabad city.
The Sipu Reservoir Project comprises of an earthen dam 6.86 km long and
masonry spillway and non-overflow section 0.28 km long having 12 no. of
radial gates for passing design flood of 8603 cumecs. The reservoir has a
gross and live storage of 177.8 M.Cum and 156.00 M.Cum respectively at
F.R.L.
The entire Sipu command is on the right bank side. Sipu Main Canal having
21.63 km length and carrying capacity of 10.19 cumecs at the head off takes at

10
Ch.5030 m of the dam through head regulator. A 12.92 km long branch canal is
off taking at Ch.9.25 km of the main canal. Minors are off taking from the
branch canal as well as main canal. The entire distribution system is lined with
5 cm thick P.C.C blocks and 7.5 cm thick cast in situ concrete upto 8 ha block.
Gross command area (GCA) of the canal system is 17937 ha and CCA 16000
ha. The annual irrigation is 22080 ha. The project will benefit 25 villages of
Deesa Taluka in Banaskantha district of North Gujarat.

Figure 7: Sipu Dam at Sipu River

(Source: Divya Bhaskar local newspaper, Gujarat)

11
Table 6: Sipu Dam salient features
S.No. Attribute Value
1 Irrigation Project Name Sipu Major Irrigation
Project
2 Irrigation Project Name Alias
3 Purpose Irrigation
4 Type Major
5 Engineering Type Storage
6 Status Completed
7 State Gujarat
8 Districts Benefited BanasKantha
9 Basin West flowing rivers of
Kutch and Saurashtra
including Luni
10 River Sipu
11 Project Sharing None
12 Intercountry None
13 Interbasin No
14 Work Started in 5 Year Plan AP (1978-80)
15 Completed in 5 Year Plan IX-Plan
16 Project Approval Status Planning Commission
17 Year of Approval by Planning Commission 1980
18 Approved Cost (Rs. in cr) 18.8
19 Actual Cost (Rs. in cr) 119.09
20 Culturable Command Area (CCA) (th ha) 16

12
 21 Ultimate Irrigation Potential (UIP) (th ha) 22.08
22 Potential Created (PC) (th ha) 22.08
23 Project Covered under ERM Scheme No
24 Project Covered under CADA Scheme No
25 Project Covered under AIBP Scheme Yes
26 Studies Conducted \
27 Project Covered under Tribal Sub-Plan Yes
28 Project Covered under Drought Prone Area Yes
Programme (DPAP)
4.3.3 Machu II Dam
Machhu river rises in the hills of Jasdan near village Khokhara in Chotila Taluk
of Surendra Nagar districts at an elevation of 220m above m.s.I. This is one of
the North flowing rivers of Saurashtra in Gujarat state. The Machhu basin is
situated between 22° 10’ to 23° 10’ North latitude and 70° 40’ to 71° 15’ East
longitude. The river Machhu originates from the hill ranges of Jasdan Sardar
and Mandva in Rajkot district and Chotila in Surendra Nagar district and flows
in North Westerly direction along the district boundry of Surendra Nagar and
Rajkot upto village Beti and then flows mostly towards North in Rajkot district
and finally disappears near Malia in the little Rann of Kachchh. Machhu along
with its tributarieis flows 52% in the hilly area and 48% in plain region. The river
fertilise Malia, Morbi, Wankaner, Jasdam and Rajkot taluks of Rajkot districts
and part of Chotila Taluk in Surendra Nagar district. Machhu drains an area of
2515 sq. km out of which more than 75% lies in Rajkot district. Basin map of
Machhu Basin is enclosed. The district wise distribution in shown as below.
Table 7: Salient features of Machu Dam II
Information
Location Vill: Jodhpur Ta: Morbi, Dist. Rajkot.
Purpose Irrigation & Water supply
River Machhu

13
Area of catchment 1193 KM2
Mean annual rainfall 560 MM
Year of commencement of October 1986
construction work
Year of completion Under progress
Dam
Type Earthen & Masonry
Bed Rock Basalt
Maximum height above the .25 M
lowest point of foundation
Length at the top of the dam 5125 M
Total Volume Content:
Concrete 0.040 MM3
3
Masonry 0.064 MM
3
Earthwork 2.456 MM
Reservoir
Area at full reservoir level 13.96 KM2
3
Gross storage capacity 100.55 MM
3
Effective storage capacity 90.80 MM
Area under submergence
a) Forest b) Waste land c) Culturable
a) + b) + c) = 1396.20 ha
No. of villages under submergence Nil

14
 Geology
Name of Scheme District Rock type encountered at the dam site
Machhu-II Rajkot Porphyritic amygdaloidal basalt, Tuff,
Sandstone, Shale, Tufficeous basalt.
Villages under command
a) District b) Taluka c) No. of villages
Rajkot Morbi 20
Total 20

15
 th
Figure 8: Machu Dam II (Field Trip 7 January, 2021)
4.3.4 Wadhawan Bhogavo -1 Dam
Dholidhaja Dam (alternatively Wadhawan Bhogavo -1) across the Bhogavo
River is located near Surendra Nagar city and in the urban area of Surendra
Nagar Dudhrej Municipality in the state of Gujarat, India. The purpose of Dam
is to provides drinking and utility water to 300,000 to 400,000 people of
Surendra Nagar, Wadhwan, Joravar Nagar and Ratanpar.

16
 th
Figure 9: Salient features of Dholidhaja Dam (Pictured capture on 7 January, 2021)

17
 Figure 10: Wadhawan Bhogavo -1 Dam
(Source: https://www.gujaratsamachar.com/)

18
5. Overview of the event
In July, 2017, Gujarat state was affected by severe flooding that led to
significant loss of infrastructure and life, destruction to properties, houses and
loss of livestock. According to the Human Development and Research Centre
(HDRC), 4.5 lakhs (approximately) of people were affected out of whom 213
people lost their lives. This is said to be the worst Southwest monsoon in the
last 70 years.
Satellite plays an crucial role in the detection and monitoring of flood situations
over large regions. Figure 11 shows the INSAT-3D visible image of 24 July,
2017 showing dense clouds over Gujarat. During 2017 flood scenario in India,
the data from SCATSAT-1 was used for the detection of the flood situations
(Figure 12).

th
Figure 11: INSAT-3D visible image of 24 July, 2017
showing dense clouds over Gujarat (Source: ISRO)
19
 th th
Figure 12: Flood inundation change analysis (6 – 10 July vs.
nd th
22 -26 July) over Gujarat using SCATSAT-1 (Source: ISRO)

5.1 Location of the event

The worst affected districts were Banaskantha, Patan, Morbi, Sabarkantha,
Surendra Nagar, Mehsana, Mahisagar, Anand, Aravalli and Ahmedabad
(Figure 13), have been recognised by the state revenue department as
‘Disaster-Affected Areas’ under the Gujarat State Disaster Management Act
(GSDMA), 2003. In Banaskantha total 6 of the total 12 talukas were suffered
(Figure 14).

20
Figure 13: Gujarat map showing worst affected areas during Flood 2017

Figure 14: Worst affected talukas in Banaskantha district of Gujarat

21
6. Damage and loss assessment
th
As of 30 July, at least 213 people had died and 4170 livestock had lost in
floods in Gujarat (Figure 15) (Disaster Management Division, Ministry of
Home Affairs-2017). The electricity supply was cut off for 753 villages. The
runway of the Ahmedabad Airport had damaged due to torrential rainfall
(Financial Express, 2017), it is the main commercial hub of the state, which
was partially flooded, forcing airlines to divert flights (Figure 16). The
transportation system was also affected. About 370 roads, including 674
Panchayat roads; 153 State Highways and 6 National Highways were flooded
and closed for vehicle traffic (Figure 17). 2017 floods also impacted on
business where more than 150 factories were forced to shut down. US$1.4
million and US$3.8 million were assessed for damages of National and State
Highways respectively.

Figure 15: (a) Cumulative number of deaths of human and

(b) Total death of live stocks
22
 Figure 16: Ahmedabad Airport flooded after City Receives 200 mm
rain in 24 hours (Source: India Today, 2017)

Figure 17: Transportation system damage due to flood in

Gujarat (Source: India Today, 2017)
Gujarat agriculture minister Chimanbhai Shapariya informed that about 10.98
lakh hectares of agricultural land of 4,333 villages were affected due to floods
besides 16,808 hectares of horticulture area in 2,431 villages. The calamity
has also affected the animal husbandry sector. The unprecedented rainfall
which triggered flooding in the state resulted in the death of a large number of
cattle, buffaloes, goats and poultry.

23
Figure 18: Damages to the assets and livestock
losses during Gujarat flood-2017
(Source: Dhar, D/ The Wire, 2017)

24
7. Response and relief
The detailed response and relief work during the 2017 flood is published by
NDMA in their report on Gujarat flood 2017 (https://ndma.gov.in/sites/default/
files/PDF/Reports/gujrat-flood-study-2017.pdf).
7.1 Preparedness Measures by State Government
Government of Gujarat had taken several preparedness measures pre-
monsoon to deal with any disaster situation. One of such measures included
updating of District Disaster Management Plans. The state government held a
review meeting with all the Resident Additional Collectors and directed them to
update all the information related to flood preparedness measures.
Subsequently, all the District Disaster Management Plans were revised.
Government of Gujarat has constituted a Weather Watch Group which meets
every week during the monsoon season. This group collects information,
interprets it and subsequently disseminates it. The composition of the
Weather Watch Group is at Annexure-II. In 2017 Monsoon Season, frequent
meetings with the Weather Watch Group were held and weather forecasts
were converted into district-wise warnings and these warnings were further
disseminated to the concerned district. It was noted that by and large these
weather predictions and warnings were accurate.
The State government was also in continuous touch with the India
Meteorological Department (IMD) to keep a watch on weather conditions and
rainfall. Administrative machinery in the Districts concerned were made aware
of the IMD’s forecast and directed to widely disseminate the information and
plan the prior evacuation of people along with their belongings to safer places.
In all, about 1,12,878 people of which 68,672 people were from Banaskantha
and Patan, were evacuated in time thus preventing a huge loss of life (NDMA
and GIDM, 2017).
7.2 Role of NDMA in Flood 2017
st
NDMA Team visited the office of Principal Secretary, Revenue on 01
September, 2017 and interacted with Shri Pankaj Kumar, IAS, Principal
Secretary and Shri A. J. Shah, IAS, Commissioner of Relief. Principal
Secretary gave a detailed account of the flood - 2017 and measures taken by
the Government of Gujarat. The Team also visited the State Emergency

25
 Operation Centre (SEOC) and interacted with officials. Information received
during these interactions is mentioned in the subsequent paragraphs.
7.3 Role of NGO
After the water receded, the first relief to reach the victims was from private
sources like non-governmental organisations (NGO), groups of social workers
and local volunteers. There were teams from various religious and
community-based organisations like Jamiat Ulema-e Hind, Jalaram Seva
Kendra affiliated to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), BDS,
Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch, Umiya Mitra Mandal of Patidars from
Ahmedabad who distributed water, ready-made food, utensils and tents to
camp in.

Figure 19: Relief work by NGOs. (Source: Dhar, D 2017 / The Wire)

26
8. Rescue operations
Ten NDRF teams were normally stationed in Gujarat (Five each in Ahmedabad
and Baroda). Eight teams reached via rail from Pune Battalion. According to
rd
the NDM situation report dated on 03 August, 2017, NDRF teams engaged in
distribution of relief material at Districts distributed Food packets 68,c968 Nos,
Water bottles/Pouches 81150 Nos, Dry Ration 1750 Bags, Biscuits/Namkeen
2225 packets, Old Clothes 175 Bags, Blankets 75 Nos, Medicines 12 Boxes
and distributed medicines to 815 flood affected persons. So far teams have
rescued/evacuated 8641 persons, 27 livestock and retrieved 11 dead bodies.
Logistic support provided by the Ministry of Defence was Army 09 Colum, Air
Force-17 Choppers have been deployed in Gujarat State. Army set up base
camp hospitals in Dharah, Kankrej with the help of State administration. While
State supplied medicines, the Army provided healthcare workers and doctors.
Multiple air sorties were conducted. Indian Oil Corporation cooperated
wholeheartedly in re-fuelling choppers. Again, Deesaair base could only
handle four choppers while the requirement was for 17 choppers. Additional
helipads were identified and set up quickly so that no time is lost in conducting
the sorties once the choppers arrive. All choppers from nearby air bases
th
(Jamnagar, Ahmedabad, Jodhpur, Phalodi, Uttarlai) were engaged from 26
July, 2017 onwards.
Thus, a three-tier rescue planning was done for seamless communication-
Chief Secretary and top officers from these agencies at the top, middle-level
officers in the WhatsApp group and relatively junior officers manning the State
emergency Operation Centre (SEOC).
Inflatable boats were mobilized from Municipal Corporations which were not
affected by floods. These 10 boats were then provided to SDRF (NDMA).
Another six additional boats were received from NDRF. Hence, a total of 16
extra boats were deployed which enhanced the capacity to undertake rescue
operations (Each NDRF team normally has 3-4 boats).
In Jamnagar, the Fire Brigade team of the Corporation helped the district
administration to carry out combat and rescue operation in other parts of the
district.
As South Gujarat was the least affected but receives maximum rainfall in the
State otherwise, NDRF teams from South Gujarat were strategically

27
withdrawn and deployed in other areas. This was done in view of the
availability of NDRF teams in Pune which could be mobilised at a short notice
in case of an emergency.
650 personnel of SDRF (stationed at 11 locations across the State) were also
deployed for search and rescue operations. Lack of equipment was a concern.
Equipment made available to Municipal Corporations through GSDMA and
additional boats received from NDRF were provided to SDRF personnel.
At least 18,000 people were rescued. Of these, 8641were saved by NDRF
followed by Army and Air Force. A total of 220 BSF personnel (120 from
Dantiwada camp and 100 from Ahmedabad) were also used for carrying out
rescue operations.
Personnel from the Indian Navy were also used for the rescue operations.
Banas River does not enter the sea, it spreads out in the Rann of Kutch. At
least 6-7 lakh cusecs of water were flowing through the Radhanpur and
Santalpur areas with overflowing Banas and Sipu rivers. It was decided that air
sorties should be conducted to assess the damage to lives, both human and
cattle, and choppers from the Navy were used for the same. Personnel from
Irrigation Department were armed with GPS coordinates and conducted air
surveys of the entire river from Banaskantha and Dantiwada Dam to Rann at a
very low height. This was done to find whether people or cattle have been
washed away by the floods. 8 bodies (human) were missing (Disaster
Management Division, Flood Situation report-2017).
Massive shifting operations were undertaken by the district administration. In
these two districts, around 70,000 people were shifted overnight (45,000 from
Banaskantha). More than 112878 people were evacuated across the State
(Disaster Management Division, Flood Situation report-2017). All possible
government agencies and other stakeholders (political parties, panchayats,
community, and mass media) were involved. In fact, a clear village-wise plan
complete with the number of people to be evacuated was drawn and followed
perfectly, arguably resulting in fewer deaths.

28
 Figure 20: Rescue work carried out by NDRF (Sources: NDRF)
9. Relief works
It was decided that the cash dole distribution should start the moment water
recedes from an area. So, both rescue and relief operations were conducted
simultaneously (Immediate relief included moving people into safe shelters,
arrangements for essentials like food, water, medicines, etc.).
State Government also enhanced the compensation amount as defined under
various norms per unit across various heads (households, crop loss, etc.).
State Disaster Relief Fund norms of Rs. 3,800 per household were increased
by Rs. 3,200 to Rs. 7,000 per household.
The number of days for which the compensation was to be given to each
affected person was fixed at 10 days at the rate of Rs. 60 per day at the state-
level itself so that there is no difference in the amount of compensation across
districts. This standardisation prevented dissatisfaction among people and an
issue with a potential to explode was turned into a non-issue.
In 2015, the cash doles were deposited in the bank accounts of the
beneficiaries under the DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) scheme. However, it was
decided that this time, cash doles would be handed out to the affected people
in cash so that it is easier for them to purchase essentials. (Arranging for the

29
 cash and managing distribution required efforts as many banks were also
affected by floods).
Free distribution of fodder for cattle was also undertaken. Sources for grass
supplies (fodder depots across the State) were identified; transportation and
distribution arrangements were done. State’s strong dairy network (their
documentation/list of cattle owners, their distribution network) was used for
free distribution of grass to the cattle owners. This was continued for about 15-
20 days until the growth of fresh grass.
Cattle assistance was enhanced from Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 40,000 for each cattle
loss. Also, the cap on the number of cattle for which assistance was made
available was increased from three to five.
rd
By 3 August 2017, the State Government came up with a special package of
Rs. 1,500 crores for Banaskantha and Patan. Relief norms were enhanced
without exception.
9.1 Relief Package
The relief camps were opened with immediate effect for people affected. State
Government immediately announced financial assistance in case of human
death, injury, cash doles and fodder. The disbursement of financial assistance
was made in cash through the district administration.
State Government declared special relief package of Rs. 1500 Crores for
severely affected Banaskantha and Patan districts. Key highlights of the
package are as under:
• Rs. 1336 Crore for Agriculture and land reform.
• Waiver of Rs. 50 Crore towards electricity bills of farmers affected for three
months Rs. 20 Crore for financial assistance in case of loss of livestock.
• Rs. 15 Crore for trade, commerce and industries.
• Rs. 79 Crore for the schemes for relief measures of Revenue Department.
The rates of relief assistance were revised as under:
• Revised from Rs. 6800/- to Rs. 10000/- for crop loss in the non-irrigated
area.
• Revised from Rs. 13500/- to Rs. 20000/- for irrigated area.

30
 • Revised from Rs. 12800/- to Rs. 25000/- for land erosion.
• Revised from Rs. 60000/- to Rs. 80000/- for severe land erosion.
• Assistance in Cash of Rs. 75000/- for affected permanent large cabin shop
holder.
• Assistance in Cash of Rs. 15000/- for affected permanent small cabin shop
holder.
• Assistance in Cash of Rs. 5000/- for the affected moving shop on trolley
holder.
• Waiver of interest on a bank loan of up to Rs. 10 lakh for two years to the
merchants having a monthly turnover of more than Rs. 5 Lakh.
10. Reasons for the flooding
The reason for the flooding in each area differs, and as a result, so does the
impact on the affected people. Districts have suffered significant loss of life,
property and agriculture land. The reason for flooding is determined to be:
• Very heavy rainfall in North Gujarat and parts of Rajasthan necessitated the
th
release of 2.3 Lakh cusecs of water from Dantiwada dam on 24 July, 2017.
Another 2.48 lakh cusecs were released from Sipu dam against 20,000
cusecs during the normal monsoon.
• Incoming flow from Rajasthan
The breach in Jaitpura dam and over spilling of Jawai dam in Jalor Rajasthan
has inundated several villages. First of all the break of Jetpura dam has been
underplayed and hardly mentioned or explained. Discussion with Dantiwada
Dam Authority, The incessant rain in the adjoining districts of Rajasthan
caused flood and the flood water entered North Gujarat overflowing the dams
and damaging the roads.
In the meanwhile, the Jetpura dam of Rajasthan has been completely washed
away on the midnight of July, 24, midnight, which deluged Dhanera, causing
massive destruction.

31
 th
Figure 21: Dantiwada Dam visit (Picture captured 6 January, 2021)
• Water released from Dantiwad, Sukhbhadar and Sipu dams.
Dantiwada, Vasna, Sukhbhadar and Sipu dams were opened after massive
inflow of water from Rajasthan. Due to heavy inflow from Rajasthan, about
4053326 cusecs and 1.3 lakh cusec of water was released from Dantiwada
Dam and Dharoi Dam respectively. Thus release of water submerged the
lower of Sabarmati river front in Ahmedabad. Vasna Barrage was also open to
release water from the river. After the water was released, the adjoining
regions and downstream districts including some villages, were inundated.
Table 8: Discharge of water during 2017 flood from Dantiwada dam

Date Time Gate No. Discharge in cusec

24-07-2021 14 7 60500
15 9 91000
16 10 91000
17 7 162000
18 11 228341
19 11 228341
20 11 228321
21 11 227345
23 11 227341

32
 24 11 228341
25/07/2017 1 11 223896
5 11 173318
10 11 173318
15 11 173318
20 11 173318
24 7 30383
26/07/2017 1 7 30383
5 5 30900
10 4 24375
15 1 1797
24 7 39125
27/07/2017 1 7 39125
5 5 27738
10 5 27738
15 4 18813
20 5 28155
24 5 27947
28/07/2017 1 6 33536
5 3 16643
10 3 16643
15 3 16643
20 2 11095
24 2 12467
29/07/2017 1 3 16768

33
 5 3 16705
10 1 32590
15 4 40526
20 5 32265
24 4 25812
30/07/2017 1 4 25812
5 3 19359
10 3 19359
15 2 16642
20 2 13111
24 2 13111
31/07/2017 1 4,7 13111
5 4,7 13111
10 4,7 13111
15 4,7 9265
20 4,7 9265
24 4,7 9265
1/08/2017 1 4,7 9265
5 4,7 9265
10 4,7 7416
15 4,7 7416
20 4,7 7416
24 4,7 5560
02/08/2017 1 4,7 5560
5 4,7 5560

34
 10 4 5560
15 4 2780
20 4 2780
24 4 2780
03/08/2017 1 4 2780
5 4 2780
10 4 2780
15 4 2780
20 4 2780
24 4 2780
4/08/2017 1 4 2780
5 4 2780
10 4 2780
15 4 2780
20 8 2780
24 8 2780
05/08/2017 1 8 2780
5 8 2780
10 8 2780
11 - Nil
24 - Nil

35
• Breach in Narmada canal
The flood situation compounded further with a major breach in the Narmada
canal near Kankrej and Thar in Banaskantha. The canal supplies Narmada
water to Rajasthan. According to officials, the death toll would have been far
less if the canal had not breached. Picture taken by Indian Express shows that
the canal has been breached at several places within a one kilometre area.

Figure 22: Aerial photograph shows that the canal has been breached at
several places. (Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/india/
gujarat-floods-the-deluge-4775591/)

• Of the three lakes in Dhanera, one was filled up incessant torrential rain
due to simultaneous activation of Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal low-
pressure systems (a rare phenomenon) has resulted into floods in several
parts of Gujarat this year.
• According to the IMD, July 01 to 28, state received 559.4 mm of rainfall, as
st th
against the average of 339.6 mm between July 1 and 28 which shows an
excess of 65% (Figure 22).
The districts of Aravali, Banaskantha, Patan, Morbi, and Surendra Nagar
received 666 mm, 951 mm, 775 mm, 726 mm and 697 mm respectively of their
total rainfall for the same period Figure 22. In the history of 112 years, it was the
heaviest rainfall in the affected area of Banaskantha and Sabarkantha district.

36
 Figure 23: Shows rainfall data of the worst affected districts
(Data collected from IMD)
th
On 24 July, several districts of north Gujarat received more than 200 mm of
th
rainfall in 24 hours. Among which Dhanera received 235 mm (in 6 hours on 24
July), Deesa recorded 269 mm rain while Idar recorded 151 mm on 25 July
rainfall. Dhanera was flooded by the water released from the Jetpura Dam and
Rauva Dam, from Rajasthan, which merges with the waters of the river Rail
(The Indian Express, 2017). Mximum rainfall of 219 mm was observed in
Sabarkantha, followed 150 mm rainfall in Banaskantha. The rainfall received
was close to higest rainfall in 112 years in the affected region. At the same
time, the release of waters from the Sipu Dam into the Banas river flooded the
villages along its banks, primarily in the DeesaTalukas and then in Kankrej
(Gujarat Samachar, 2017). Reports also suggest that delay in opening the
dam gates led to damaging of the outlet channels from the dam in some
villages (HDRC).

37
Rainfall (mm) data for Banas River Basin-2017 flood
Region Date (Month of July, Year 2017)
21st 22nd 23rd 24th 25th 26th 27th 28th 29th 30th 31st
Amirgadh 9 0 50 246 337 150 55 8 82 4 5
Bhabhar 4 44 108 92 174 28 8 54 48 13 3
Danta 0 14 29 179 167 104 70 43 34 21 15
Dantiwada 6 17 44 342 463 21 21 41 18 10 4
Deesa 13 15 86 212 210 119 19 8 16 15 15
Deodar 73 145 204 172 284 106 0 30 5 55 12
Dhanera 7 31 18 231 275 139 10 0 12 10 8
Kankrej 40 63 67 120 154 39 3 14 5 8 0
Lakhani 14 30 99 221 305 51 9 11 7 39 20
Palanpur 7 51 30 255 380 62 46 23 25 49 7
Suigam 7 29 25 72 122 19 8 32 115 50 19
Tharad 20 40 470 119 180 59 6 12 4 39 8
Vadgam 70 40 17 200 357 60 28 19 13 29 14
Wav 2 15 15 82 187 46 8 10 10 45 10
Average rainfall 20 29 60 182 257 72 21 22 29 28 10

• Morphology
Dryland alluvial sequences, owing to their sensitivity to minor climatic
perturbations that result in significant changes in flow regime, sediment
transport, and associated channel style (Nanson and Tooth,1999), provide
great potential for paleo environmental reconstructions(Reid et al., 1998;
Nanson and Tooth, 1999). Considering that semiarid regions cover a large
proportion of Earth's land surface (Graf, 1988) and theephemeral fluvial
system constitutes one of the important geomorphic agents (Reid and
Frostick, 1997), it is therefore important to under standriver responses to
climate variability.

38
Figure 24: Figure showing locations of (A) Gujarat alluvial plain (GAP)
and the drainages flowing from the Aravalli Hills towards the Little Rann
and Gulf of Cambay. BR = Banas River, SR =Saraswati River, RR = Rupen
River, SBR = Sabarmati River, MR = Mahi River, NR = Narmada River, OR
= Orsang River. (B) DEM of Gujarat alluvial plain and drainages.(C)
Structural configuration of the Cambay basin of Gujarat alluvial plain
dominated by ridges and basins. (D) Cambay rift and subsidiary normal
and transfer faults traversing through the Banas and Saraswati River
basins (after Kundu and Wani, 1992). Note that the Banas and Saraswati

39
rivers occupy the Patan sub-basin. EMCF = Eastern Margin Cambay
Fault,WMCF = Western Margin Cambay Faults, and JBL = Jaipur Barwani
Lineament. Field locations are shown along the Banas and Saraswati
rivers (IQB = Iqbalgarh, DW = Dantiwada, MA = MotiAkhol, JD = Juna-
Deesa, OG = Goliya, GN = Gotnath, and SD = Siddhpur).
(Source: Bhattacharya et al. 2017)
Banas River morphology and flood 2017
2 2
The Banas basin has a total catchment area of 8674 km . In which, 3269 km
2
lies in Rajasthan State while the remaining 5405 km lies in Gujarat. Banas
River originates from Aravallihills which is in Rajasthan and it flows gradually in
a South-West direction. Total length of Banas River is 266 km from which 78
km is in Rajasthan and remaining 188 km is in Gujarat state. It continues south
through the plains of Gujarat state, flowing through Banaskantha and Patan
districts to empty into Little Rann of Kutch seasonal wetland. Figure 1 shows
location map of Banas River basin, which shows 62.3% of total basin area falls
in Gujarat state and mostly in Banaskantha district. The Banas River passes
through the 13 districts namely, Sawai Madhopur, Jaipur, Ajmer, Tonk,
Rajsamand, Banswara, Chittaurgarh, Udaipur, Bhilwara, Dausa, Sikar,
Nagaur and Karauli.
There is Sipu River, which is the only right bank main tributary of Banas River
while another six tributaries are on the left bank of Banas River, which are
mainly the Khari, Suket, Baaram, Sukli, Batria and Sewaran which finally drain
into the main channel.
Dhanera, which has a population of 30,000, was flooded up to 10 feet. The
town was totally cut off for 48 hours as all of its approach roads were
inundated. Power and telecommunication lines had also crashed.

40
Figure 25: (A) The Banas River emerges from the Aravalli upland and
drains into the Little Rann. Locations of the field photographs are
marked as follows: (B) IQB = Iqbalgarh, (C) DW = Dantiwada, (D) MA =
MotiAkhol, (E) OG = Goliya, and (F) GN = Gotnath. (Source: Bhattacharya
et al. 2017). The stratigraphic units are marked in roman numbers and
OSL sample locations are shown by red boxes.
41
(For interpretation of the references to color in this figure legend, the reader is
referred to the web version of this article.)

Figure 26: Alluvial sequence at (A) JD = Juna-Deesa along with detailed

stratigraphy. OSL sample locations are indicated by red boxes. (B)
Floodplain deposit at JD. (C) Point bar deposit at JD. (D) Schematic
cross section between the left bank alluvial cliff and point bar deposit at
JD (Banas River). (Source: Bhattacharya et al. 2017) (For interpretation of
the references to color in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web
version of this article).
Rel River morphology and flood 2017
Rel River (SukalNadi) basin originates from Keshua Village, Aravalli Hills of
Rajasthan State, and fows in Gujarat. The Rel River basin is the northern basin
and lies between 24° 50′ N to 24° 75′ N latitude and 72° 00′ E to 72° 45′ E
2
longitude and covers an area of approx 442 km . The basin is bounded both in
the east and west by prominent hills of Aravalli range. The hills on the western
side are higher and are part of Mt. Abu range. The streams originating from
hills fow in NE–SW directions and drain into little Rann of Kutch. Being part of

42
the Mt. Abu range, the maximum elevation seen within the basin is about 609
m., while the general elevation within hilly part is in the 250–750m range. The
overall slope of the terrain is northeast to southwest direction. The lowest point
is near Dhanera Taluka and Dhanera City itself, and it is located near the exit
point of the basin at southwest of Abu road, Banaskantha District. Further, Rel
River basin and its watersheds are divided into 52 micro-watersheds, with an
2
average area of 7 km . Entire study area falls within the toposheet numbered
45 D/02, 03, 06 at the scale of 1:50,000. It is considered a hot semiarid region
in western India and experiences hot summer from March to mid-June. The
maximum dry temperature ranges between 42 and 45 °C. The region
encompasses three distinct seasons: winter, summer and monsoon. The
temperature increases from January onwards having maximum values during
May and gradually decreases afterward. With the onset of monsoon,
southwest winds are strong and humid, with relative humidity more than 50%.
The region is predominately inhabited by the tribal population, which till a few
decades ago is mainly depended on forests for its livelihood and now also
practices subsistence agriculture for food and fodder.
Rel River is having very steep topography in the upper catchment with a
maximum elevation of 609 m and reduces to 77 m in the plain area near
Dhanera Tehsil; such a large variation in elevation of river catchments leads to
a fash food in catchment. Recently, Rel River catchment has recorded an
th th
average rainfall of 257 mm on 24 –25 2017. It was close to the heaviest
rainfall in 112 years in this region, resulted very heavy runof in the catchment of
Rel River. Due the lack of the discharge carrying capacity of the river and
heavy rain on catchment, Dhanera area and Dhanera City were flooded more
than 30 hand observed under an inundation of 2.5–3 m in water. Near about 72
people died,81,609 cattle killed, and property damaged worth INR 2000 crore
was in Banaskantha, Patan and Kutch districts. Dhanera was the highest food-
affected city among the other of Banaskantha District. Entire stretch of
Banaskantha District was under catastrophic food, and very heavy damages
were reported. The Government of India announced an interim food relief
package of INR 500 crore as initial assistance. The state government
demands INR 4700 crore as compensation for damages. Around INR 1700
crore is the estimated loss for agricultural production and agricultural land,
while INR 700 crore is for damage to state highway and village roads. Public
infrastructure facilities like schools, colleges, hospitals demanded more than

43
 INR 1000 crore. To restore public amenities and other private properties, it is at
most important to distribute the food relief package as per the food hazards in
this area; however, due to lack of the information of basin geomorphology,
hazard and food risk area, the FRP allocation process is slowed down,
hampering the restoration process in this region
10.1 Unprecedented floods, an unprecedented response
rd th
The torrential downpour struck Gujarat from 23 to 27 July, While the rains
were severed statewide, the badly affected districts were Surendra Nagar,
Morbi, Rajkot and Ahmedabad. Figure 26 represents the flood inundated area
in Gujarat state and the worst hits were Banaskantha and Patan districts.
In the first month of the monsoon, these places normally receive around 30%
of annual rainfall. Against this, Banaskantha received 163%, while Patan
recorded 140%. The highest rainfalls of 463mm were recorded in
th
DantiwadaTaluka and in Palanpur talukas was 380mm on 25 July, 2017. The
average rainfall recorded till 28th July, 2017 in Dantiwadataluka and Deodar
taluka of Banaskantha was 252.55% and 226.82% of the normal rains
respectively which are exceptionally high. Dhanera taluka in Banaskantha,
th th
recorded 231 mm and 275 mm rainfall on 24 and 25 July respectively, While
Dantiwada Taluka received 342 mm and 463 mm.
As far as precipitation in Patan district is concerned, the highest rainfall of 295
th
mm was recorded in Patan taluka and 217 mm in Saraswatitaluka on 25 July,
th
2017. The rainfall recorded till 28 July in Patan district was 138.28% to
average rainfall. A huge inflow unprecedented flood water entered
Banaskantha from Rajasthan. Mount Abu received 97 inches of rain in three
days, resulting in the water flowing down from a height and compounding the
problem further. The heavy rainfall in North Gujarat and parts of Rajasthan
necessitated the heavy release of water (2.3 lakh cusecs from Dantiwada
th
dam) on 24 July. The discharge from Sipu dam was 2.48 lakh cusecs, which is
20,000 cusecs during a normal monsoon.
Dhanera town, population 30,000 got inundated with water levels from 4 to 10
feet. It was totally cut off for 48 hours as all approach roads were submerged,
electricity and telecommunication lines were damaged, making the situation
worse. The Banas River catchment area received extremely heavy rainfall on
th th
the 24 and 25 July, 2017. The little Rann of Kutch, which drains the Banas,

44
 got saturated due to high inflow of water. Tharad, Dhanera, Kankrej, Lakhani,
Suigam and Deesa blocks of Banaskantha; besides Santalpur, Sami and Harji
blocks of Patan District were heavily flooded. In this disastrous situation, the
state Government immediately began rescue and relief operations, as
thousands were stranded in the flood waters.

Figure 27: Flood inundated area in Gujarat

(Source: BhuvanGeoportal, NRSC)
11. Lesson learnt
Disasters have much in common besides the devastation of lives and property
they leave behind. They all teach hard lessons, whether the destruction comes
from floods, fires, windstorms or other events. Those lessons are as valuable
as they are difficult for disaster risk management professionals, making it

45
 urgent to use them to reduce risk and build resilience ahead of the next big
event. With every disaster, the weakest point of the management gets
exposed. It is said that a chain is as strong as its weakest link. The flood of
2017 in Gujarat points out the vulnerability and weakness of the state to
disasters. The lack of preparedness and fatality of the flood made it highly
challenging for the state to cope up. The flood brought attention to a number of
structural constraints that left Gujarat unprepared for major natural disasters
or climate change shocks. This involves inadequate policies and institutional
frameworks to control critical natural resources such as water and land, the
lack of risk-proof spatial and sectoral planning policies and frameworks that
drove to extensive urban turmoil, uncontrolled construction in hazard-prone
areas and absence of disaster risk preparedness in key socioeconomic
sectors, lack of basic infrastructure in urban areas along with aging and poorly
maintained infrastructure, poor capacity of institution to anticipate and
respond to extreme events, scarcity of availability and sharing of reliable data
for disaster risk planning and management due to weak hydro-met system,
and limited fiscal resources as well as absence of pre-financing modalities for
risk pooling and sharing.
11.1 Learn ways to manage water
A large part of India is prone to hydrological disasters on an account of
drought, floods and cyclones. Hence we, at various levels, need to learn to
manage scarcity as well as excess water. Growing urbanization and the
effects of climate change are forcing us to do this with greater urgency. It
needs to take a careful look at proper drainage channel, clearance of garbage
from drains, integrated dam management, proper contour and precipitation
inundation maps, formulate effective land management laws ensure their
enforcement. Use of better technology, ensuring political will at different levels
and institutionalizing resolve to enforce rules and regulations is need of the
hour.
a. Desilting of basin:
The Rel river bed in most of the areas of Dhanera indicates excessive
deposition of sand (Figure 27). Similarly the sand deposition has risen to very
crucial level in bridge, where the river bed is merely 4-5 ft below the railway
track (Figure 28). During the field investigation (04/01/2021), it was observed
that the river bed has raised about 10 ft. in just 10 years which is a major

46
concern in flood management in Dhanera area. In 2017 there was a heavy rain
in the Rel River catchment with an average rainfall of 257 mm. Moreover Rel
River has a very steep topography at upstream catchment ranging from 609 to
77 in the plane area near Dhanera region. Such variation in elevation along
with heavy rainfall can lead to flash flood in the catchment, which has already
taken place on 2017.

Figure 28: Sand deposit in Rel River at Gogabapaji Railway

Overbridge, Dhanera (Picture captured on 4/01/2021)

47
48
 Figure 29: (a & b) Sand deposition at Rel River (c) agricultural lands
lying lower to Rel river bed (picture captured on 4/01/2021)
11.2 Drainage Improvement
Surface water drainage congestion due to inadequacy of natural or artificial
drainage channels to carry the storm water discharge within a reasonable
period causes damage. It is often difficult to distinguish between flood and
drainage congestion situations. This problem is rather acute in North Gujarat.
Therefore, improvement of drainage by construction of new channels or
improvement in the discharge capacity of the existing drainage system is
recommended as an integral part of the flood management programme in the
country.
Stress has to be laid on improving the existing natural drainage system in the
flood plains so that what should essentially be flooding of a few days should
not get prolonged for months. In this context, the importance of the system
‘dhars’ or ‘old channels’, which efficiently served the function of draining away
the spillage and surface flows generated by local rains, must be recognized.

49
The blocking of these natural drainage channels, which is normally done in the
name of “reclamation for development” because of paucity of land or vested
interest, must be firmly discouraged. This applies also to all natural
depressions, which are targeted for reclamation. The adequacy of existing
sluices and drainage channels should be reviewed in areas suffering from
drainage congestion. If the capacities of existing sluices in embankments and
drainage channels are inadequate, this should be improved by increasing the
vents and improving outfall conditions.

50
 Figure 30: (a & b) Canal near Tharad taluka is submerged with water
th
(picture captured on 4 January, 2021) (c) Interaction & Discussion
with Mamladar/Talukdar of Tharad taluka (picture captured on 4/01/2021)

51
11.3 Connectivity of nallas & tributaries to pond and to river
From the study of the flooding scenario as per existing topography of Gujarat
and additional area, it is proposed to connect the nallas and tributaries with
ponds coming in drainage path and further connecting the outfall channel to
other pond or to the tributary leading to river provided with river training.
11.4 Better forecast and effective synergy
Weather forecasting needs to become more effective. To achieve this, not only
the science of forecasting but also its dissemination and follow-on actions after
the forecast need to be improved. Agencies such as India Meteorology
Department (IMD), Central Water Commission (now Ministry of Jal Shakti) and
Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) should have
pre-notified national and state-level agency liaison protocols for appropriate
information and warning.
11.5 Strengthening of critical infrastructure
In order to increase the flood resilience in country, it is also crucical to make the
critical infrastructures function resilient. There is need for appropriate disaster
management plans to ensure these infrastructures are well protected from
disasters. It is sad to see some critical infrastructure facilities like airports
which were critical to mounting a response were shut as they were impacted.
(a) Building conservation
Mani temple in Morbi district is historic buildings have been affected by the
heavy rains and flooding that occurred during 1979, 2015 and 2017. Figure 30
shows the marked High flood level (HFL) in Mani temple. The HFL marking
shows the extent and depth of flooding that occurred in 1979. This marking
should be used to prepare flood inundation map at regional level. Inundation
maps are one factor used to determine where changes should take place in
building codes to help communities be more resilient; where evacuation
routes should be; where (and how high) a bridge or road should be; and other
community planning efforts.

52
Figure 31: HFL marked in Mani temple in Morbi
(picture captured on 6/01/2021)

53
 Figure 32: Food grain storage house of Food Corporation of India
(picture captured on 6/01/2021)
11.6 Timely evacuation of people to safer locations (along with cattle)
These timely interventions also reduced the number of cattle deaths. In a
district with a cattle population almost equivalent to the human population, the
death toll is much lesser that the previous flood of 2015. A major factor behind
this was the timely evacuation. Advanced warning also ensured that people
moved out with their cattle. The severity of 2017 floods is far greater (5-7 times
more) in comparison to 2015 floods. Agricultural losses and damage to crops
are the right indicators for judging the severity of a flood (even better that the
measurement of rainfall) as they cannot be moved and are open for the
devastation
11.7 Promote support to NGOs
It is once again demonstrated that the NGOs can move in quickly and support
relief efforts in a meaningful manner. Due to their flexibility, NGOs are able to
address the specific needs of the survivors. NGOs need resources to

54
 undertake their efforts and the government should help NGOs and promote
their efforts to enable them to raise resources. One way the government can
support NGOs is by creating a level playing field by provisioning tax
exemptions to the donors on par with the tax exemptions available for the
Prime Minister’s Relief Fund and Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. In the absence
of a level playing field, NGOs will find it difficult to raise resources.
11.8 Strengthen local capacities
There is a need to develop community based approach so that the community
moved quickly and participated in rescue operations shoulder to shoulder with
the national rescue agencies. This very well demonstrates the importance of
local capacities to deal with disasters. There should be clearly articulated
efforts to strengthen community capacities to cope with disasters. Suitable
system and operational procedures should also be in place to extend
government support to local community efforts during disasters.
11.9 Capacity Development
Capacity development should be undertaken at various levels. In particular it
should: Raise public awareness of flood preparedness response by public
education including school children, and the handicapped. A shorter terms
strategy to raise the awareness of the adult population to flood mitigation
issues would also be beneficial. Such a program could include:
• The publication of flood hazard mapping at regional mapping
• Making these maps widely available at public offices and on the internet;
• Pamphlets outlining flood risks, flood mitigation measures, preparedness
measures and response resources; and
• Articles in local newspapers prior to each monsoon season reminding the
public about these issues and the resources available.
• Appropriate flood awareness training for government officials and elected
representatives, and for professionals working in this field (engineers,
town planners, social workers etc);
• Develop, in consultation with the NDMA, programs for training of trainers;
• Provide the basis for the development of a Flood Disaster Management
Plan;

55
 • Provide training for full time disaster management personnel, inter-agency
training and training of ancillary staff;
• Research into flood related issues; and
• Dissemination of flood related information.
11.10 Taking the Apda Mitra Scheme forward
National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has approved a centrally
sponsored scheme focused on training 6000 community volunteers in disaster
response in 350 Districts in India. The districts have been identified taking into
account occurrence of floods in the past. The State Governments may accept
these identified districts or in their opinion if they find some other district more
flood prone and vulnerable, they may indicate their preference, citing reasons.
The said NDMA scheme is to provide the community volunteers with the basic
skills that they will need to respond to their community’s immediate needs in
the aftermath of a disaster ( with afocus on flood). These trained volunteers
can assist in saving lives using the basic techniques of disaster response,
coordination and management
Implementation of the lessons learnt can be a path to reduce future disaster
damages also it can map out the ways to decrease vulnerabilities of the state
to disasters. In future Gujarat must prioritize eco friendly development across
the state and also should keep a keen eye to the flood preparedness.
Recommendations
The lesson learnt from the deluge of Gujarat in 2017 paints the path of the way
forward to a secure future of the state. It is very much important to implement
the lessons that were learnt from the Gujarat flood 2017 so that in future the
causalities are avoided and a well-protected and sustainable society is
developed.
• Suitable institutional arrangements should be made between Gujarat and
Rajasthan to improve preparedness for any probable flood in Banas and
Sipu rivers as the two States share the catchment areas of both the river
systems.
• Regular monitoring of flood preparedness in the vulnerable areas,
collection and compilation of post disaster data, documentation of best

56
 practices and lessons learnt has to be done by the state/ district(s). This
can further be used for capacity building activities.
• Training Walls should invariably be designed as Reinforced Cement
Concrete (RCC) structures instead of coarse rubble masonry as practiced
in the earlier construction. Coarse rubble masonry may not withstand
heavy flood as was experienced in the case of Dantiwada Dam during the
2017 floods.
• Improve coordination among inter alia departments
• Dhanera Municipal Corporation should be shifted to a higher altitude.
Currently, Dhanera Municipal Corporation is placed at a lower altitude area
and usually get flooded.
• Development of Smart Apps i.e., people-friendly for Gujarat state. As,
technology played an important role in evacuation, alerting the people in a
risk area and remote area.
• The Land use policy of the state should be made stricter. Illegal
construction in restricted area must be stopped. Existing vulnerable land
should be protected so that in future years there will not be any damage
due to flood.
• Timely desiltating for Rel river is recommended to avoid any future flood
inundation.
• Sustainable Sand Mining Management should be carried out for Rel and
Banas River. In its current stage, sand is heavily deposited in the Rel river.
If these are mined at this stage and used for construction purpose, then a
major portion of sediment can be reduced.
• Check dams, settling basins, vegetation covers, agricultural practices, etc.
may be adopted wherever applicable to control sedimentation.
• There is need for improvement of drainage by construction of new
channels or improvement in the discharge capacity of the existing
drainage system which is recommended as an integral part of the flood
management programme in the country.
• Scheme like Apda Mitra developed by NDMA should be taken forward.

57
• Capacity building of the community should be done so that they can
effectively respond to any kind of exigencies. Awareness generation
regarding safeguarding the environment must be carried out extensively
and intensively.
• Local volunteers must be trained and appointed for responding to
disasters.
• Water level management at all dams in the state: Elaborate instructions
are given in the FM. Rule levels have also been provided for each
reservoir. These shall be strictly adhered to unless the safety of the
structure is in danger. Every day data is being collected at 8 am from all the
dams and compiled report is circulated by 10.30 am. Since data collection
is a mammoth task, a system of data collection through SMS as well as
internet software has also been put in place. However, to be doubly sure,
manual data collection by phone is also being continued. During floods, in
case of gated dams, water releases would be required to maintain the rule
level after taking into consideration the volume of water that could be
accommodated in the reservoir
• Dewatering pumps, placements: 10 truck-mounted 50 HP pumps with
GWRDC are kept ready with the necessary operating crew, pipelines and
other necessary fittings. These shall be deployed at important places in the
state based on past experience so that these can be rushed to trouble
spots in a very short time.
• Attempts should be made to procure satellite phones for all major dams.
Personnel handling dam site flood cell, as well as zonal flood cells, are
provided with mobiles.
• In case of interstate rivers like Daman Ganga, Tapi, Mahi, Narmada, the
respective focal officers need to keep continuously in touch with their
counterparts in respective States of MP, Maharashtra and Rajasthan as
well as with Central Water Commission so that advance action could be
taken. Coordination meeting needs to be held with Chief Engineers of
Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh before monsoon and
operations are handled in close co-ordination with them.

58
• District administration needs to be informed well in advance, in case,
releases are required to be made from any dam.
• Hotlines need to be installed at all major dams for emergency
communication.
• Realizing the need for renovation & modernization of the old canal system,
the Government has taken up this activity, to improve the water use
efficiency by enhancing the area under coverage and bridging the gap
between irrigation potential created and potential utilized.
• Water auditing shall also be carried out simultaneously for each project
every year. Following performance indicators are decided to be reviewed:
• Hectare of land irrigated per unit of water
• Crop yield per unit of water
• O & M Cost per unit of water
• Assessment & recovery of charges per unit of water
• Reappraisal of irrigation potential has also been taken up because of
modification in cropping pattern as well as land use pattern. It is envisaged
to complete the renovation, extension and remodeling of the entire canal
system of the State over a period of 5 years. Up till now, strengthening of
the canal system in 2,50,000 ha area has been completed. Necessary
corrective actions would be taken up based on above exercise.
• Dam safety activities are directly related to the Department's priority to
ensure reliable and efficient delivery of water and hydro power. The
Department has launched a massive program of conducting Safety
evaluation of all the dams and has taken up necessary corrective steps to
ensure the safety of all these dams. Necessary guidelines and manuals for
conducting safety inspection of earth, masonry and concrete dams and
gates as well as other electrical and mechanical components of the dams
have been issued. Checklists have also been prescribed and various
levels of officers are assigned duty to inspect the dams twice a year –
immediately after the monsoon and before the monsoon. These officers
have imparted training on how to inspect, what to inspect, how to record
findings and what follow up action to take after dam inspection. Further,

59
 preparation of Emergency Preparedness Plans (EPP) for dams is also
taken up. Necessary rectification of dams was also taken up.
• Operation, Maintenance and Repairs
• The Department through its cadres, operates, maintains and repairs
almost all facilities including dams, barrages, canals and drains. The
programme also involves carrying out associated water management
activities which are designed to ensure that such facilities are
operated and maintained in a manner that protects State's
investment. It includes examination of all structures and their repairs/
rectification if required. Minor canals where Water Users Associations
have taken over the canals, such activities are performed by them. In
respect of all other canals, the Departmental staff carries out all
activities under this program.
• A programme for inspection and examination of all canal structures
was launched. Engineers conducted a 'walk through' inspection and
recorded the deficiencies.
• A time-bound programme is chalked out and is under implementation
for rectification/ refurbishment of such structures.
• Water for irrigation is planned to be supplied on a rotation basis decided in
consultation with agriculture experts and Advisory Committees for
respective irrigation schemes.
• The drains and filters play an important role in preventing the migration of
particles that, otherwise, can initiate piping and overtopping. The
processes of filtration, interface behavior and time-dependent changes
that take place within the filter medium in a dam should be studied in
further details
• A proper canal will be constructed along with the low level of contour line at
108m then flooding to avoid flooding as there is no proper natural drain to
runoff the rain water which results in flood.
• There is a need to strengthen State Disaster Management Plan and
District Disaster Management Plans for Gujarat state.
• Initiative must be taken to create a network of amateur radio in Gujarat to
strengthen community based disaster preparedness.
60
• Broadcasting techniques and systems for use in emergency
communications needs to be continuously improvised
• Suitable institutional arrangements should be made between Gujarat and
Rajasthan to improve preparedness for any probable flood in Banas and
Sipu rivers as the two States share the catchment areas of both the river
systems.
• Training Walls should invariably be designed as Reinforced Cement
Concrete (RCC) structures instead of coarse rubble masonry as practised
in the earlier construction. Coarse rubble masonry may not withstand
heavy flood as was experienced in case of Dantiwada dam during 2017
floods.
• There is a need to adopt and identified Municipal Corporations as regional
rescue centres and mandated therewith one of their regular activities so
that they can operate functionally during any crisis. Such an association
actually helped during the floods in Gujarat.
• Regular monitoring of flood preparedness in the vulnerable areas,
collection and compilation of post-disaster data, documentation of best
practices and lessons learnt have to be done by the state/ district(s). This
can further be used for capacity building activities. These timely
interventions also reduced the number of cattle deaths. In a district with a
cattle population almost equivalent to the human population, the death toll
is much lesser than the previous flood of 2015. A major factor behind this
was the timely evacuation. The advanced warning also ensured that
people moved out with their cattle.
• Develop village tanks and lakes that have the best water harvesting
performance. They reach maximum extension at the end of the monsoon
and maintain water throughout the post-monsoon season.

61
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data2011.html
3) CWC- Comprehensive Flood Management in India-2018
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2017.pdf
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11) efficiency leading to fluvial diversity, in Varieties of Fluvial Form, edited
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205–230. Chichester: Wiley.
18) Bhattacharya, F. Shukla, A. D., Patel, R.C., Rastogi, B.K., Juyal, N. 2017.
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2017.08.046.

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About the Authors

Prof. Surya Parkash, Head, GMR Division, NIDM

Dr. Harjeet Kaur, Junior Consultant, NIDM
Major General Manoj Kumar Bindal, VSM, ED, NIDM
Dr Raju Thapa, Junior Consultant, NIDM
Mr Anil Kathait, Junior Consultant, NIDM

Cover Photo Credit :

https://time.com/3937181/gujarat-flooding-india-monsoon-70-dead/

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/heavy-overnight-rains-cripple-life-in-
ahmedabad-gandhinagar-relief-ops-hit-in-flooded-districts/story-
1H4kr1kCp105WxIvbLrJtJ.html
ISBN 978-81-95500-94-9

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