A SATELLITE BASED RAPID ASSESSMENT ON FLOODS IN JAMMU & KASHMIR – SEPTEMBER, 2014 In Collaboration with National Remote Sensing Centre Dept. of Ecology, Environment and Remote Sensing Indian Space Research Organization, Government of Jammu and Kashmir Hyderabad-37. Bemina, Srinagar-10 A SATELLITE BASED RAPID ASSESSMENT ON FLOODS IN JAMMU & KASHMIR – SEPTEMBER, 2014 Principal Coordinator Suresh Chugh, IFS Principal Investigator Majid Farooq © Copyright No part of this publication/report may be reproduced without the prior permission of the publisher, i.e., Dept. of Ecology, Environment and Remote Sensing Government of Jammu and Kashmir Bemina, Srinagar-10 & National Remote Sensing Centre Indian Space Research Organization, Hyderabad-37. Executive Summary Jammu & Kashmir experienced one of the worst floods in the past 60 years, during first week of September 2014, due to unprecedented and intense rains. The Jhelum River and its tributaries were in spate and caused extensive flooding in the region. The Decision Support Centre (DSC) of NRSC in collaboration with Department of Environment & Remote Sensing, J&K took necessary action on satellite data acquisition and processing and kept a close watch on the flood situation. All possible data from Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites, as well as foreign satellites, covering Kashmir valley were obtained and analyzed. Rapid flood mapping and monitoring was done on almost daily basis and the flood inundation information was prepared. In addition, cumulative flood inundation, flood progression and recession maps were also prepared. Flood inundation simulation study was done using CARTO-DEM for Jhelum River to identify the possible flood affected areas and the same was uploaded on Bhuvan portal. Hydrological Modeling Study was done for approximate quantification of flood discharges in the Jhelum River. The flood products and flood layers were continuously published on Bhuvan and NDEM web portals. Value added satellite images showing the status of the flood situation were published on NRSC website and JKDEARS website simultaneously. Further, a study was carried out in collaboration with J&K State Remote Sensing Centre for flood damage assessment in Kashmir valley & City using the detailed database. This report highlights the results of this study. Foreword Suresh Chugh, IFS Jammu and Kashmir is facing unprecedented floods of the century. Incessant rains in the first week of September lead to massive floods in the valley as well as in Jammu region. The Department of Environment and Remote Sensing was in constant touch with the National Remote Sensing Agency of ISRO Hyderabad, right from the day one and they were asked to position satellites for providing us day to day imageries of the progressing floods. The imageries were being uploaded on the NRSC website as well as on the website of the Department jkdears.com simultaneously during the floods. The communication network of the valley had completely collapsed. Therefore, after discussions with the NRSC the Department of Environment and Remote Sensing sent its scientist to NRSC Hyderabad to work on the imageries and collect data on floods and prepare a joint report on the event and analyze it with authenticity. Mr. Majid Farooq, Scientist, of Department of Environment and Remote Sensing was stationed in Hyderabad for a week and worked on the report with the scientists of NRSC- ISRO. The report is an effort to reveal the truth about the whole event to some extent. The tragedy is immense and there is need for introspection and plug the gaps for future course of action, so that we are ready to face such challenges in future with better preparedness. The report reveals that the floods in Jammu and Kashmir are a result of High rainfall in the catchments over short period of time, which are not less than cloud bursts and is a combine effect of the extreme event due to climate change and less capacity of our drainage system that failed to hold the quantum of water and it overflowed, which ultimately lead to floods. I am grateful to the entire team of Scientists form NRSC and our own team which worked on this report despite various constraints. I am sure that this report will help in better decision making for the future. (Suresh Chugh) IFS APCCF/ Director Department of Environment and Remote Sensing Govt. of Jammu and Kashmir. Acknowledgements This report could not have come into being without the help and support of many people as well as institutions. However, I realized that it is impossible to name them all here. The help of those whose names are not mentioned is as greatly appreciated as the help of those whose names are. The author wishes to record deep sense of gratitude to Mr. Suresh Chugh, IFS, (Director, Department of Environment & Remote Sensing) for giving me the opportunity, suggestions, facilities and support to take up this study. He made me determined to continue, to revise, and strive for improvement. His continual willingness to listen, discuss and render critical judgments helped me to produce this report in its present shape. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. V.K. Dadhwal, (Director), Deputy Director (RSA) at NRSC, Hyderabad, for providing with necessary facilities during the study. Dr. V. Bahanumrthy, Dr. G. Srinivasa Rao, P. Manjushree, Chandra Mohan Bhatt, Sunil Kulkarni, SVSP Sharma, Abhinav Shukla for very helpful discussions and sharing their ideas and experiences. I extend my profound gratitude to A.R. Mir, IFS, Regional Director (K), DEERS, Dr. Tasneem Keng (Jr. Scientist), G.H. Mir (Technical Officer) for taking keen interest and for valuable scientific discussions. I am very grateful to Mr. Humayun Rashid (Scientist) whose guidance, during my tenure with him, enabled me to tackle with practical problems during this project. Thanks are also due to Mr. Sonum Lotus (Director Meteorology, IMD, Srinagar), Mr. Javid Jaffer (Chief Engineer IF&C Srinagar) for supply of rainfall and gauging data. I would like to thank all my team members of this project, Dr. Mohammand Muslim, Gowhar Naseem, Sajad Hamid, Manzoor Rather, Nissar Kuchay, Dr. Arshad Amin, Asim Gulzar, Muzaffar Malla, Ajaz Misgar, Mudasir Ashraf, Syed Aasif, Altaf Ahmad for providing me with necessary inputs from the field during the study. Hope this work would serve the appropriate purpose for which it is intended. Majid Farooq Contents Executive Summary Foreword Acknowledgements Abbreviations 1. INTRODUCTION 2. THE RIVER JEHLUM 2.1. Morphometry of the River 2.2. Catchments 3. HISTORY OF FLOODS IN J&K 4. FLOODS 2014 4.1. Rainfall over J&K 4.2. Using Remote Sensing and GIS 4.3. Flood Damage Assessment 4.4. Joint Study with J&K Remote Sensing Centre 5. METHODOLOGY 5.1. Rainfall 5.2. Flood Inundation 6. RESULTS & VALUE ADDED PRODUCTS 6.1. Rainfall 6.2. Flood Inundation 7. FLOODS AND LANDSLIDES IN JAMMU REGION 8. POSSIBLE CAUSES OF FLOOD 8.1. Impact of Climate Change 8.2. Ecological Aspects of Floods 9. SOME RECOMENDATIONS AND PREVENTIVE MEASURES 10. LIMITIATIONS 11. SUMAMRY 12. REFERENCES Abbreviations AWIFS Advanced Wide Field Sensor CARTO-DEM Cartosat Digital Elevation Model DEERS Department of Ecology, Environment & Remote Sensing DSC Decision Support Centre ETM Enhanced Thematic Mapper GIS Geographic Information System INCCA Indian National Network for Climate Change Assessment IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change I&FC Irrigation and Flood Control ISRO Indian Space Research Organization LAWDA Lakes and Waterways Development Authority. NRSC National Remote Sensing Centre PRECIS Providing Regional Climates for Impacts Studies SAPCC State Action Plan on Climate Change SAR Synthetic Aperture Radar SDA Srinagar Development Authority SDRF State Disaster Response Force. TRMM Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission WUCMA Wular Conservation Management Authority Floods In Jammu & Kashmir – September 2014 FLOODS IN JAMMU & KASHMIR – SEPTEMBER 2014 1.0 INTRODUCTION The valley of Kashmir has an intrinsic genetic relationship with the complex of mountain systems which splay out of the Pamir Knot in different directions of the valley clearly defining the watersheds and basins. The general aspect of the valley is that of a basin, bounded on every side by lofty mountains, and in the middle is a huge alluvial tract, intersected by the Jhelum River and its numerous tributaries which flow down from the mountains and are fed by the abundant snow and rainfall in those elevated regions. The flat alluvial basin measures 150 kms from south-east to north-west and 42 kms from south-west to north-east. In altitude the flat plain varies from 1500 to 1800 m above the sea level and the grain of the land is from south-east to north-west. 2.0 THE RIVER JEHLUM The Kashmir valley, which forms a composite Jhelum basin, has a fairly well established drainage system headed by the Jhelum, the main channel of drainage. The river is initially formed by the junction of 3 streams, the Arapal, the Bringi and the Sandran which rise at the south-east end of the valley. Water in the whole Kashmir valley is exceptionally on paradox. In fact there is no watch in whole Himalayan region, if we consider the area of water bodies, length of the water course and total sum off. The water is very plenty in low lying parts of the valley, while the adjoining Karewas (uplands) suffer from aridity imposed by its chronic deficiency. In both the cases the optimal use of the land potential available in the valley is not possible. The river has shaped up the ecology, economy and the life style of the inhabitants of the valley. The whole length of the Jhelum from its source to Baramulla is 150 miles. The fall of the river is 18 m in 113 kms. The Jhelum itself rises from the Pirpanjal range near Verinag, a spring at the bottom of high scarp of a mountain spur at the upper end of the Kashmir 1 Department of Ecology, Environment and Remote Sensing, J&K Govt.