Flood damages estimated at over one lakh crore

NEW DELHI: Flood damages have been pegged at over Rs one lakh crore, according to a new estimate.

Quoting details received from various states, the Water Resources ministry said flood damages in monetary terms from 1953 to 2007 have been estimated at Rs 1,00,020.947 crore.

As per the report of Working Group on Water Resources for XIth Five Year Plan, an amount of Rs 12362.60 crore was spent upto the end of Xth Five Year Plan on flood control.

At the same time, the government has clarified that there is no trend in the increase in flood affected areas in the country based on data available from 1953 to 2007.

Out of the country's total geographical area of 329 million hectare, about 40 million hectare is prone to floods. Till March 2007, an area of 18.22 million hectare has been provided with protection against floods by way of construction of embankments, drainage channels, town protection works and raising on platforms.

The Centre is providing assistance to the flood prone states to take up some of the critical works. The Central Government is also providing special assistance to the border and north eastern states for taking up certain priority works.

In order to mitigate the damages from floods, a nation-wide Flood Forecasting and Warning System has been established by the Central Water Commission on interstate river basins and flood forecasts are being issued through 175 stations, out of which 147 are river level forecasting stations and 28 are inflow forecasting stations on major dams/reservoirs.