Research Paper

Volume : 2 | Issue : 3 |Geography Mar 2013 • ISSN No 2277 - 8179 Role of Reservoirs in Flood: A Case Study KEYWORDS : Flood in Murshidabad, of Flood in 2000 in Murshidabad, West Massanjore Dam, Mayurakshi River Bengal Basin, Damodar Valley Corporation

Swati Mollah Asst. Prof. in Geography, Department of Geography, Dumkal College, P.O. Basantapur, Dumkal, Murshidabad, PIN- 742 406

ABSTRACT In India, for controlling flood emphasis has been on structural measures especially construction of multipur- pose projects due to economy of construction cost. They are required to moderate the incoming floods to the maximum possible extent as well as store enough water during the monsoon period so that the conservation purpose are best served during the remaining period of the year. But unfortunately these structural measures have been proved futile for flood management. The main problem of these reservoirs is heavy siltation and inappropriate maintenance. In most cases, the actual rate of siltation is found to be higher than the design rate. For the 23 reservoirs the annual loss in live storage capacity is 0.912% of the original live storage capacity. These 23 reservoirs have already lost 23.11 % of LS by 2006. This paper attempts to find out the problems regarding the Massanjore Dam in controlling flood in Murshidabad, in particular based on secondary data from various government reports. It may help the administration of the district to find the solution of the flood problem in other way than depending on controlling flood through reservoir regulation.

INTRODUCTION Most parts of India being dependent for water on 3-4 month long monsoon, reservoirs are created to store water for use oftrolling 2000 flood.in Murshidabad and its adjoining parts. in non- monsoon months. India has by now about 4500 large 3. To indicate the role of Massanjore Dam in controlling flood reservoirs and lakhs of smaller reservoirs. The irrigation was The sources of the data used in the study are of secondary the prime objective of 96% of 4291 dams built in India (WCD, sources. Various Government Reports and literature like publi- cation from Irrigation & Waterways Department, Govt. of West Bengal, Annual Report of Central Water Commission, Govt. of big2000). dams—irrigation The flooding resulted and hydro-power. not from higher Flood rainfall control but demands from a India, publications of South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers & failure to balance properly flood control with other objectives of- People (www.sandrp.in) etc. mizing hydro-power potential means that water level in dams is keptthat damsas high allocate as possible. adequate The spacereservoirs, to receive created flood by surges; dams on maxi riv- RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ers, also get silt in the water of the rivers that enters the reser- According to the data from CWC and the Regional Remote Sens- ing Service Centre (RRSSC), Jodhpur the actual rate of siltation reservoir, thus reducing the space available for storage of water. of the reservoirs in India is found to be higher than the design Moreover,voirs and a studies significant over proportion the years haveof the shown silt settles that downthe silt in gets the rate. For the 23 reservoirs the annual loss in live storage capac- deposited in both the dead storage (the storage at the bottom, ity is 214.2 MCM that is 0.912% of the original live storage ca- below the Minimum Draw Down Level, which is not used under pacity. These 23 reservoirs have already lost 23.11 % of LS by normal circumstances) and in the Live Storage (LS). Siltation 2006. The distribution of reservoirs with respect to proportion of original LS lost through siltation is as follows. at huge costs to the nation. Siltation of reservoirs can also have aresults number in reductionof other impacts, in benefits including from the increased projects evaporation constructed That siltation is a serious issue and action is required to arrest the destruction of productive reservoir capacity created at such power house turbines. huge costs has been known for many years. Morris (1995) be- losses, increased backwater flooding and also could damage the lieved that the overall picture indicates that reservoir sedimen- tation is a serious national problem which requires immediate in the Parliament that country will do all that is possible to action. According to the Mid Term Appraisal of the 9th Plan After independence in July 1957 there was a firm declaration (Oct 2000), there is an urgent need to review the status of res- of structural measures with the construction of dams and res- ervoir sedimentation. However, most such warnings have gone curb and confine floods more and more. Massive programme unheeded and catchment area treatment that can help reduce objectives. But because of unpredictable pattern of rainfall, the - ervoirs were taken up with flood control as one of the major failed to achieve the desired level of objective. The limitation of Integratedthe siltation Water has largely Resources remained Development non- existent, (1999) except implies on that pa structuralflood moderation intervention through was reservoir compounded detention by another and its important releases Indiaper. The is losing Report about of the 1.3 Govt BCM of of India’sstorage National capacity Commissioneach year. That of social factor. The dichotomy of interest between people affected - by submergence of lands due to reservoirs and that of people ation of 1.3 BCM storage capacity would cost Rs 1448 crores. Thatshould means be alarming that on enough an average, for everyone each day as atwe today’s are losing rates Rs cre 4 sharply into focus in recent times. With these factors new ten- crores worth of storage capacity through siltation. of the benefited area came to surface. This conflict has come up Table 1 Loss of Live Storage of 23 Reservoirs of India monthssion was suddenly added in camethe parlance to the forefrontof flood -’the as a reservoir dominant release, issue of a Loss (%) >40 25-40 20-25 15-20 10-15 5-10 <5 cause of flood’. The different reservoir releases during monsoon No. of - Reservoirs 2 3 4 5 4 2 4 erflood countries and at inducedtimes even changes replacing at policy the extremedecision level.adverse The natural stress Source: National Commission for Integrated Water Resources causes. All these relevant factors and recent experiences of oth Development, 1999 - agementgiven to control(National flood Commission just after forindependence Integrated Watergradually Resources took a This shows that we have already lost about a quarter of the LS Development,turn towards an1999). achievable pragmatic approach of flood man capacity of the 23 reservoirs studied here, due to siltation. The proportion of capacity lost from reservoirs all over India would OBJECTIVES AND DATABASE be similarly order of magnitude. This has huge implications as The paper has the following objectives: 1. To describe the present status of the reservoirs in terms of in terms of hydropower generation, irrigation, water supply and this means significant reduction in benefits from the reservoirs 2. To analyse the functions of Massanjore Dam and DVC in con- their capacity to control floods. flood management. In economic terms, creation of 1.95 BCM of IJSRcapacity - INTERNATIONAL would at today’s JOURNAL costs OF SCIENTIFIC would require RESEARCH at least Rs 2017195 Research Paper crores.Volume This : 2 | Issuemeans : 3 that| Mar we2013 are • ISSN daily No losing 2277 - reservoir8179 capacity preciably. Only the DVC reservoirs were planned to have three worth Rs 5.53 crores. tier water storage systems- the dead storage, live storage and

The Damodar Valley reservoirs were built with the multipur- reservoirs is 1270 million cubic metre which is proved frequent- lyflood inadequate storage. Theto accommodate combined flood the storage huge dischargecapacity of generated four DVC comparatively dry Rarh tract of West Bengal. The Massanjore during a high torrential rainfall. The data relating to continued pose idea of flood control, power generation and irrigation in- sedimentation in two major DVC reservoirs namely Maithan ades have passed since construction of this mighty reservoirs and Panchet are furnished below showing the loss of capacity. and Kansabatithe alarming Project rate hadof siltation no flood has control reduced plan. the About capacity five dec ap-

Table 2. Loss of Live Storage Capacity of Maithan Reservoir (capacity in ‘000 ac ft) 1955 Zones 1963 1965 1971 1979 1987 1994 Original Dead Zone 27.0 31.9 36.6 54.9 72.3 90.5 167.4 (upto EL. 435 ft) 16.2% 19.0% 21.9% 32.8% 43.2% 54.0% Live Zone 27.0 31.0 50.8 67.1 93.8 110.5 492.3 (EL 435-480 ft) 5.5% 36.4% 10.3% 13.6% 19.1% 22.4% Flood Zone 1.1 3.4 8.1 13.3 309.8 Negligible (EL 480-495 ft) 0.3% 1.1% 2.6% 4.3% Overall 51.2 59.8 88.5 125.4 174.2 214.3 969.5 (upto EL 495 ft) 5.3% 6.2% 9.1% 12.9% 18.0% 22.1% Sediment deposit Rate 3.2 3.0 2.8 2.6 2.7 2.7 (acft/sq.mile/year) Table 3. Loss of Live Storage Capacity of Panchet Reservoir (capacity in ‘000 ac ft) 1956 Zones Original 1962 1964 1966 1974 1985 1996 Dead Zone 41.8 50.8 51.5 67.4 90.1 94.5 (upto EL. 392 ft) 191.51 21.8% 26.5% 27.0% 35.2% 47.0% 49.6% Live Zone 20.1 22.1 26.5 36.3 47.1 55.5 (EL 392-410 ft) 204.5 9.8% 10.8% 13.0% 17.8% 23.0% 27% Flood Zone 2.3 5.4 7.8 14.0 13.0 30.3 (EL 410-445 ft) 885.7 0.3% 0.6% 0.9% 1.6% 1.5% 3.4% Overall 64.2 78.3 85.8 117.7 150.3 180.6 (upto EL 445 ft) 1281.7 5.0% 6.1% 6.7% 9.2% 11.7% 14.1% Sediment deposit Rate (acft/sq.mile/year) 2.8 2.6 2.2 2.1 1.4 1.36 Source: DVC Hooghly River. The river is about 250 km long. Annual rainfall over the basin varies between 765 and 1607 mm with an aver- It is alleged that the DVC often takes a calculated risk and stores age of 1200 mm of which 80% occurs during the monsoon sea- son from June to September. Some of the historically important to ensure irrigation forbore cultivation. Since the September - rainfallwater in is the uncertain, reservoirs the up-to Dam flood authority storage wins during the July-gambling August in gal District Gazetteers for the districts of Murshidabad and Birb- years when the late monsoon rainfall is scanty. But when there floods in this river were recorded by L.S.S. O’Malley in the Ben is torrential rain in late September sudden release of water from reservoir is a common practice causing devastation in the lower villages,hum. For inhabitants the district andof Birbhum, cattle, the O’Malley crops on has the noted ground, “in 1787with reach. Man Singh Committee (1959) noted that before the con- there was a high flood which it is said, in some places swept off duration was small. The construction of dams has moderated everything that was moveable.” O’Malley also recorded that “in struction of the DVC dams, the flood peaks were high but the because1806 the of Mayurakshi heavy rains and the Ajay Brahmani had a suddenand the extraordinary Mayurakshi over rise- and floods washed away whole villages.” In September 1902, fromthe peak upper but and increased lower valleys the duration as also fromof floods. adjoining This riverincrease basin. in some places to the depth of 6.1 m. duration has enhanced the chances of synchronization of floods flowed their banks and inundated the surrounding country in From the counterpart rupee fund created through supplies of wheat and other materials from Canada for use in India, Canada devoted those rupees to the further development of the May- In the four decades between 1960 and 2000 only five years urakshi dam project. The Massanjore dam (also called Canada Westcould Bengal be identified suffered as consecutively flood free years, in 1998, when 1999 only and less 2000. than In Dam), across the Mayurakshi, was commissioned in 1955. It was 1978,500 km² seventy of area two were hours inundated. of continuous After and major concentrated floods in 1978,rain- formally inaugurated by Lester B. Pearson, Foreign Minister of fall over the western river basin areas of the Bhagirathi viz. from Canada. Unfortunately, the Massanjore dam located near Dumka in the state of Jharkhand (erstwhile Bihar) was not allowed to that all embankments on the eastern side of the Bhagirathi were almostthe Pagla-Bansloi washed away to the and Ajay, the generatedwhole of Nadia so huge district flood, avolume larger part of Murshidabad district and northern areas of North 24 controlhave any embankments flood reserve. till Simultaneouslythen maintained with by the construction landlords or of Parganas district localdams bodies.the state Massanjore government dam in 1956,is about selectively 65 km upstreamtook over floodfrom - Siuri in West Bengal. It is 47 m high from its base and is 660 m age capacity. The wereinitial floodedcapacity and of Massanjore remained underwater reservoir was for long. The reservoir has an area of 67.4 km² when full and has a a61.67×10000000 long period of time. m3. MassanjoreThe Kansabati reservoir reservoir has nocould flood accom stor- storage capacity of 620,000,000 m3. It had cost Rs. 16.10 crore modate 123.35×10000000 m3 of water. According to the re- port of the Irrigation and Waterways Directorate, the capacity - of Massanjore dam has been reduced by about 48 per cent in shidabad. Massanjore Reservoir is constructed on Mayurakshi dead storage and 15 per cent in live storage. But on the 18th River,Massanjore a major Reservoir river Murshidabad plays an important in West roleBengal in ,flood India of, with Mur a September 2000 when the storage in the reservoir reached the threshold limit of 358000 acre feet, 42690 cusecs water was re- on Trikut hill, about 16 km from Deoghar in Jharkhand state. It leased. This is an indication that the overall capacity of reservoir long history of devastating floods. Mayurakshi has its sourceBirb- hum and Murshidabad decades. flows through Jharkhand and then through the districts of has been reduced by about 28 per cent during preceding five 196 IJSR - INTERNATIONAL in West Bengal JOURNAL before OF SCIENTIFIC flowing RESEARCHinto the Research Paper

Table 4. LossVolume of Live : 2 |Storage Issue : 3 |Capacity Mar 2013 •of ISSN Massanjore No 2277 - 8179 Dam (Capacity in MCM) 377000Massanjore cusec reservoir to 262000 has cusec. reduced The DVC the reservoirs intensity reduced of flood the by Capacity Loss about 30 per cent since the flow of river was controlled from- Anticipated till rigation and Waterway Department, 2000). Had there been an 2006 flow of Damodar from 430000 cusec to 210000 cusec (The Ir been to the tune of 387000 cusec or 430000 cusec. The con- trolleduncontrolled system river allows system, the pond the flow level of to water achieve would an alarming have not Original LS Original LS (mcm) LS Reassessed Capacity Loss (mcm) Span Loss (%) Annual Loss (%) of Siltation Rate (mcm/yr) In mcm In % height and then releases the water. The velocity of water thus 547.59 474.82 72.77 45 13.29 0.295 1.617 82.47 15.045 - Source: WCD, 2000 jore reservoir was raised from 378 ft. to 402.61 ft. between 17th Septembermultiplies many to 21st times. September, For example, 2000. theThis pond added level a tremendous of Massan momentum to the released water which caused havoc in the downstream areas. On the 18th of September, Tilpara barrage started to release water, highest discharge released was report- edly 1076.38 cusec. The Deucha barrage on Dwarka river and - ly and consequently a huge sheet of water rushed eastward and sweptBaidhara away on themany Brahmani villages. river, On the were 21st outflanked September simultaneous at 12 noon, the Tilpara barrage released 2562.97 cusec of water. The com- bined peak contribution of Ajoy and Mayurakshi systems into Bhagirathi at Katwa was measured to be 4.50 × 100000 cusec. The hydraulic dam created thereon intercepted the southward supply of water from Pagla and Bansloi river and the Farakka Feederflow of canal the Bhagirathi, which received continuous upstream Figure 1a-b: Flood Volume and River Basin Areas. (From left): 1a. River basins and their areas; 2b. Flood volume At about 21.00 hrs on the 21st of September, the Bhagirathi from Massanjore dam breached its left embankment at Kalukhali and opened an alter- nate route through the Gobra nala toward Jalangi river. The fast - rigi Station and swept away three villages, namely Kalukhali, Baliramnaflowing water and delinked Subarnamrigi, the road claiming and railway 37 lives. near The Subarnam railway between Beldanga and Berhampore was delinked at eleven - eas of Murshidabad and Nadia. Some engineers argue that the westernpoints. All reservoirs water rushed played eastwardvital role in and reducing flooded the extensive magnitude ar

- controlledof flood by river accommodating system can never substantial be abruptly amount high of as water. happens The inargument a controlled seems system to be when untenable. a reservoir The flow suddenly of water releases in an huge un was 378 ft on the 17th September. This was raised to 402,60 Box 1a: Discharge Pattern from Massanjore Dam ftdischarge. on the 21st For Septemberexample, the when water 200500 level at cusec Massonjore of water reservoir was re- Source: Irrigation & Waterways Department, 2000 leased. The water gained tremendous momentum and destruc- tion in the lower reach surpassed all previous records. Being located downstream, pond level in Tilpara barrage was elevated from 202 ft to 2111.40 ft and consequently 256297 cusec of wa- ter was released. The bankful capacity of the Mayurakshi River below Tilpara barrage hardly exceeds 30,000 cusec. - ingThe sheetexcess of water water breached achieved left a height bank embankmentof about eight at feet several and sweptplaces awayand rushed many landmarks eastward towardon its way. the A Bhagirathi. striking sequence The flow of started on the 18th September when Baidhara and Deucha hydrological events was noticed. The flood in Birbhum district 21st September when more than 2.50×100000 cusec of wa- terbarrages was released were outflanked. from Tilpara. The Thesituation water became level in worst and around on the Katwa and Nabadwip towns abruptly went up from knee-deep Box 1b: River Basins and their areas contributing flood to more than three metres. The waters of Bhagirathi, which Source: Irrigation & Waterways Department, 2000 subsequently opened a new outlet through Gobra nala, had CONCLUSION Murshidabad. Since the breach of the Bhagirathi embankment andalready Lalgola flooded bound the Railway Berhampur, near theBeldanga district at headquarters about 9 pm on of - the 21st September, water logged Berhampur got relieved, but paredness.A comprehensive Some key flood-management areas that must program be addressed should in revolve India situation in Nadia started to deteriorate. On the 24th of Sep- around improving flood-coping mechanisms and flood-pre- tember, huge sheet of water submerged 3900 sq. km area and - include sustaining and improving natural systems’ ability to ab- water subsequently rushed southward through moribund sorb floodwaters; improving dam management, and instituting a population of about 3.80 million was marooned. The flood- infrastructureclearly defined rather and transparent than spending operating money rules on new that damsare strin and nas. On the 26th September, Bongaon, Bagda, Swarupnagar, gently enforced; improving the maintenance of existing flood GaighataIchhamati areas and devastatedwere under extensive three meters areas high in North water. 24 The Parga resi- dents of North 24 parganas were totally unprepared to face embankments; undertaking a credible performance appraisal such disaster as only 190 mm rainfall was recorded there and transparentof existing infrastructure disaster management in a participatory plans intended way, and to beremoving imple- misery was unbearable. mentedembankments in a participatory that are found way. to Perhaps be ineffective; most importantly, and producing In-

IJSR - INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH 197 Research Paper diaVolume needs : 2to | Issueassess : 3 the| Mar potential 2013 • ISSN impacts No 2277 of - climate8179 change on country. Yet the state and national governments in India – with support by international agencies like the World Bank, the Asian and begin planning for the necessary adaptation to the chang- Development Bank and the Japanese Bank for International Co- ingrainfall climate. and on the performance of flood-related infrastructure, operation –is pushing for more, not less of the same structural solutions. The opportunity provided by the report of the World In conclusion, there is mounting evidence that structural meas- Commission on Dams in reviewing planning and decision-mak- ures have been largely ineffective in its claims of controlling ing frameworks for large dams appears to have been completely floods, and in fact, have worsened flooding in many parts of the lost on India’s water managers.

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inCommission, accessed on Govt. 21/09/20010) of India, New | Govt. Delhi.Thakkar, of West Bengal H. (2006) (2000) Before Flood- the September Deluge: Coping 2000, with Public floods Relations-cum-Statistical in a changing Climate. Cell, In International Irrigation & WaterwaysRiver Network’s Department, Annual Feature Govt. of ReportWest Bengal, in June Kolkata. 2007, Union | Morris, Water G. L. Resources (1995) Reservoir Minister sedimentationin Lok Sabha Dec. and 10, sustainable ’01 (http://www.sandrp. development in

Bengal District Gazetteers series, Bengal Secretariat Book Depot, Calcutta | RRSSC (2003) Final Report of Satellite Remote Sensing BasedIndia. In:Sedimentation Proc. Sixth Int. Analysis Symp. of on Twenty River Sedimentation Reservoirs in India- (New PhaseDelhi, I,India), Regional 57-61. Remote | O'Malley, Sensing L. ServiceS. S. (1914) Centre, Birbhum Indian & Space Murshidabad, Research Organization, Jodhpur, Oct, 2003. | http://www.dams.org accessed on 21/09/2010 | http://www.indianetzone.com/4/the_damodar_ valley_project.htm accessed on 16/02/2013 |

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