Patna Tops District-Level Flood Severity Index in India, Reveals IIT Study

New Delhi: A recent study conducted by researchers at IIT-Delhi and IIT-Roorkee has revealed the severity of flooding across various districts in India. According to the district-level flood severity index (DFSI) developed by the researchers, Patna emerges as the district most affected by floods, followed closely by Murshidabad in West Bengal and Thane in Maharashtra.

The DFSI takes into consideration the historical severity of floods, including factors such as the number of affected people, the spread, and duration of floods. The findings highlight the top 10 districts with the highest flood severity, encompassing regions from Bihar, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh.

The districts topping the list include Patna, Murshidabad, Thane, North 24 Parganas, Guntur, Nagpur, Gorakhpur, Ballia, East Champaran, and East Medinipur. Additionally, districts like Muzaffarnagar, Lakhimpur, and Kota also face considerable risk, as indicated by the index.

Of notable mention is Chamoli in Uttarakhand, which despite not experiencing recurrent floods, finds itself on the list due to isolated yet highly damaging flood events.

The study further underscores the vulnerability of districts within the Ganga and Brahmaputra basins, with 17 and 3 districts respectively identified as facing the highest risk of floods.

Manabendra Saharia, an assistant professor at IIT-Delhi, expressed concern over the heightened flood proneness of the Ganga basin, attributed to its high population density.

The state of Assam emerges as the most flood-prone region in India, having endured over 800 flood events in the past 56 years. Other states facing significant flood risks include Kerala, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra.

Data spanning from 1967 to 2023 reveals alarming statistics, with Thiruvananthapuram experiencing more than 231 floods, averaging over four events annually. Additionally, districts such as Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Kamrup, and Nagaon have been classified as “severely flood-prone,” with over 178 floods recorded on average per year.

The researchers emphasize the likelihood of more frequent and intense rainfall events in the future due to climate change, anticipating a rise in flash floods across the country.