New Delhi, Jul 25 (PTI) Floods have ravaged about 21 million hectares across 712 districts in the country from 1986-2022, according to a government report released on Thursday.
The report, titled ‘Assessment of Areas Affected Due to Floods in India’ by the Central Water Commission (CWC) has highlighted the extent of flood damages caused in the country over a 36-year period.
According to the report, 20.5 million hectares (mha) were protected from floods by taking various structural measures.
The total flood-affected area in India during this 36-year period stands at 21.213 mha, said the study, which used satellite imagery and annually collected data to map regions prone to inundation due to flooding.
The assessment reveals that Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Assam and West Bengal are the states most affected by floods.
Uttar Pradesh tops the list with 5.175 mha affected. Bihar comes next with with 2.914 mha affected and West Bengal with 1.84 mha, while 2.48 mha were hit by floods in Assam.
These states have consistently experienced significant flooding, affecting vast tracts of land and numerous districts, the CWC report said.
The report also provides a breakdown of the number of districts impacted by floods.
The total number of flood-hit districts across India stands at 712, with Uttar Pradesh leading with 75 affected districts, followed by Madhya Pradesh at 53, Bihar with 38 districts and Assam with 33 districts.
Additionally, the assessment includes a basin-wise bifurcation of flood-affected areas.
The Ganga basin is the most affected, accounting for a substantial portion of the total flood-affected area, at 54 per cent. Other major basins impacted include the Brahmaputra and the Mahanadi. PTI UZM RPA
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