An Analysis about Flood Situation in Daspur-I Block under Ghatal Sub-Division of Paschim Medinipur District in West Bengal, India with a Comprehensive Analysis of Environmental and Societal Causes

Abstract

The paper discussed about the situation & environmental and societal causes of flood, occurred at Daspur-I Block under the Ghatal Sub-Division, Paschim Medinipur District, West Bengal. Daspur-I Block is considered one of the most vulnerable areas out of the five blocks under the Ghatal Sub-Division. 50% of Mouzas are flood affected and inundated by flood water during the period from July to October every year. The River Silabati and a tributary of the Kangsabati named Cossey, flow through the block. A flood is a natural hazard that creates an unexpected threat to human life and property. The study is based on field surveys of the local people of 10 No Gram Panchayats under the Daspur-I Block and different data for the last 11 years, which have been collected from the Daspur-I Block Office and the Irrigation and Waterways Department, Ghatal. The years of the occurrence of floods in the last 11 years are 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021. Heavy rainfall and heavy water discharge from dams increase the intensity of flooding in the Daspur-I Block. Floods cause damage to a large number of Agricultural Crops, Livestock, Roads, Houses, School Buildings, River Embankment, Ponds, Tube-wells and Electrical Equipment.Floods also largely affect the health system and commercial activities. Descriptive Statistics, Quantitative and Qualitative Methodological Principles are adopted for this study with suitable illustrations of the map of the average rainfall, total rainfall, maximum water level of the river and different flood-affected characteristics. Flood Prone Mouzas are identified based on previous records of floods to alert the villagers of that area before the occurrence of a flood. In this analysis, the Flood Warning Technique and the Long Term-Short Term-Emergency Flood Management Plan (L-S-E Flood Management Plan) are designed to minimise the severity and combat flooding in the future.