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Flood Scenario of West BengalWest Bengal has 37,660 sq. km flood prone area spread over 111 blocks
where the total geographical area of the state is 88,752 sq. km. An analysis of the
statistics of flood that occurred during last 41 years (from 1960 - 2000) shows that only
on 5 occasions the state has not faced any severe flood. The total
devastated area crossed 20,000 sq. km in 4 different years and the flood of medium
magnitude i.e. between 2,000 to 10,000 sq. km. occurred on 10 occasions.
This analysis of area flooded against years of occurrence (calendar
years) is produced below :
Flood affected area (in sq. km) |
Years during which the flood occurred |
Total No. of years |
| Below 500 |
1985, 89, 92, 94 & 97 |
5 |
| Between 500 - 2000 |
1962, 63, 64, 65, 66, 72,
75 & 96 |
8 |
| 2000 - 5000 |
1960, 61, 67, 69, 70, 74,
76, 80, 81 & 82 |
10 |
| 5000 - 10000 |
1973, 77, 93, 95 & 98 |
5 |
| 10000 - 15000 |
1968, 79, 83, 90 & 99 |
5 |
| 15000 – 20000 |
1971, 86, 87 & 88 |
4 |
| Above 20000 |
1978, 84, 91 & 2000 |
4 |
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The Flood
Problem :
The flood problems of the state are of
different nature at different regions. The rivers Teesta, Torsa, Jaldhaka,
Raidak-I, Raidak-II etc. flowing through the districts of Jalpaiguri and Cooch
Behar originate in the neighbouring country of Bhutan and the state of Sikkim and flows
down to Bangladesh, another neighbouring country to meet the Bramhaputra at different
locations.
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The rivers of the districts
of Uttar Dinajpur and Dakshin Dinajpur originating at Bangladesh passes through these
districts and then joins the Ganga-Padma at downstream of Farakka in Bangladesh. Both the
places of origin and also the outfall of most of these rivers are in Bangladesh.
The district of Malda through which the
river Ganga flows receives its flood water from about 11 (eleven) States and is battered
by the run-off flow generated from these vast areas. Ultimately the river flows down the
Farakka Barrage to Bangladesh.
Another portion of the Malda district
receives floodwaters of the Mahananda, which again originates in the hills of the
neighbouring country of Nepal and has some catchment area in the neighbouring state of
Bihar and then passes through the district to join the Ganga-Padma at downstream of
Farakka Barrage in Bangladesh.
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