Abstract
A densely populated city, Gorakhpur, located on the bank of Rapti river in the Ganga plain, is frequently affected by flooding. The Rapti river exhibits narrow channel within wide valley, channel bars, natural levee and river terraces. Artificial levees are constructed in the valley during low discharge period to mitigate the flood and also to provide the additional land to the society. These levees break during prolonged heavy rain and induce the catastrophic flood because it is not constructed by analyzing the capacity of the bracketed channel to accommodate the high discharge of the river. The precipitation, discharge, sediment load, and river water levels are correlated by making graphs between these parameters to analyze and identify the threshold limits and main reasons for flood. It explains that discharge and sediment load increases with precipitation during monsoon season, whereas the water storage capacity of the river decreases due to siltation and artificial levee. Hence, during heavy rain in this region, water rises in the channel, which either overtops the bank or breaks the levee and creates the flood.
Flood inundation map was prepared using GIS techniques from 70 m base level to 81.5 m high level, which indicate the inundated area with every 1–2.5 m rise in the Rapti river water level. Rating curves and flood frequency curves have been prepared to identify the recurrence interval for major floods. It is concluded that prolong heavy precipitation, discharge variability of the river, siltation in the river bed, artificial levee, and anthropogenic impacts on younger river terraces and river valley leads to flood. Its affect is devastating when water level, discharge and sediment loads are above 77 m, 5000 m3/sec, and 5 metric tones respectively. The flood inundation map and recurrence interval are useful parameters for flood risk management, whereas the upland terrace is flood-free surface suitable for settlement. This study can be used as a model for other flood prone regions.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Awasthi, A. and Singh, D.S. (2011) Shallow Subsurface Facies of Chhoti Gandak River Basin, Ganga Plain, India. In: D.S. Singh and N.L. Chhabra (Eds.), Geological Processes and Climate Change. Macmillan Publishers India Ltd., pp.223–234.
Bhardwaj, V. and Singh, D.S. (2011) Surface and Ground Water Quality Characterization of Deoria District, Ganga Plain, India. Environ. Earth Sci., v.63, pp.383–395.
Bhardwaj, V., Singh, D.S. and Singh, A.K. (2010a) Water Quality of the Chhoti Gandak River using Principal Component Analysis, Ganga Plain, India. Jour. Earth. Sys. Sci., v.119(1), pp.117–127.
Bhardwaj, V., Singh, D.S. and Singh, A.K. (2010b) Environmental repercussions of cane-sugar industries on the Chhoti Gandak river basin, Ganga Plain, India. Environ. Mon. Asses., v.171,pp.321–344, DOI 10.1007/s10661-009-1281-2.
Bubeck, P., Botzen, W.J.W., Suu, L.T.T. and Aerts, J.C.J.H. (2012) Do flood risk perceptions provide useful insights for flood risk management? Findings from central Vietnam. Jour. of Flood Risk Management. doi: 10.1111/j.1753-318X.2012.01151.x.
Burton, C. and Cutter, S.L. (2008) Levee failures and social vulnerability in the sacramento-San Joaquin delta area, California. Nat. Hazards Rev., v.9(3), pp.136–149.
Dhar, O.N. and Nandargi, S. (1998) Floods in Indian Rivers and their meteorological aspects. In:V.S. Kale (Eds.) Flood studies in India. Mem. Geol. Soc. India, No.41, pp.1–26.
Faisal, I.M., Kabir, M.R. and Nishat, A. (1999) Non-structural flood mitigation measures for Dhaka City. Urban Water, v.1(2), pp.145–153.
Faisal, I.M., Kabir, M.R. and Nishat, A. (2003) The Disastrous Flood of 1998 and Long Term Mitigation Strategies for Dhaka City. Nat. Hazards, v.28, DOI: 10.1023/A:1021173832234.
Foster, I.D.L. (2000) The Oxford Companion to the Earth. Oxford University London, pp.349–353.
Goswami, D.C. (1998) Fluvial regime and flood hydrology of the Brahmaputra River, Assam. Mem. Jour. Geol. Soc. India, v.41, pp.53–75.
Kale, V.S. (1998) Monsoon floods in India: A hydro-geomorphic perspective. Mem. Jour. Geol. Soc. India, v.41, pp.229–256.
Kale, V.S., Ely, L.L., Enzel, Y. and Baker, V.R. (1994) Geomorphic and hydrologic aspects of monsoon floods on the Narmada and Tapi Rivers in Central India. Geomorphology, v.10(1–4), pp.157–168.
Nelson, S.A. and Leclair, S.F. (2006) Katrina’s unique splay deposits in a New Orleans neighborhood. Geol. Soc. America Today, v.16(9), pp.4–10.
Nilsson, C., Reidy, C.A., Dynesius, M. and Revenga, C. (2005) Fragmentation and flow regulation of the world’s large river systems. Science, v.308, pp.405–408.
Rakhecha, P.R. and Pisharoty, P.R. (1996) Heavy rainfall during monsoon season: Point and spatial distribution. Curr. Sci., v.71, pp.177–186.
Rogers, P., Lydon, P. and Seckler, D. (1989) Eastern waters study: strategies to manage flood and drought in the Ganges- Brahmaputra basin. Arlington, Irrigation Support Project for Asia and the Near East. USAID Project no. 3-7631510.
Shroder, J.F. (1998) Slope failure and denudation in the western Himalaya. Geomorphology, v.26 (1–3), pp.81–125.
Shu, Li. and Finlayson, B. (1993) Flood management on the lower Yellow River: hydrological and geomorphological perspectives. Sediment Geol., v.85 (1–4), pp.285–296.
Singh, D.S. (2007) Flood mitigation in the Ganga Plain. In: N. Rai and A.K. Singh (Ed.), Disaster Management in India, New Royal Book Company, pp.167–179.
Singh, D.S. and Awasthi, A, (2009) Impact of Landuse and Landscape Change on Environment. Urban Panorama, v.VIII (2), pp.72–78.
Singh, D.S. and Awasthi, A. (2011a) Implication of Drainage Basin Parameters of Chhoti Gandak River, Ganga Plain, India. Jour. Geol. Soc. India, v.78 (2), pp.370–378.
Singh, D.S. and Awasthi, A. (2011b) Natural Hazards in the Ghaghara River Area, Ganga Plain, India. Nat. Hazards, v.57, pp.213–225, DOI: 10.1007/s11069-010-9605-7.
Singh, D.S., Awasthi, A. and Bhardwaj, V. (2009) Control of Tectonics and Climate on Chhoti Gandak River Basin, East Ganga Plain, India. Jour. Him. Geol., v.30(2), pp.147–154.
Singh, D. S., Awasthi, A. and Nishat (2010) Impact of Climate Change on the Rivers of Ganga Plain. Inter. Jour. Rur. Devel. Manag. Studies, v.4 (1), pp.1–8.
Singh, D.S., Kumar, S., Kumar, D., Nishat, Awasthi, A. and Bhardwaj, V. (2013) Sedimentology and channel pattern of the Chhoti Gandak River, Ganga Plain, India. Gond. Geol. Mag., v.28(2), pp171–180.
Singh, D.S. and Singh, I.B. (2005) Facies Architecture of the Gandak Megafan, Ganga Plain, India. Paleont. Soc. India Spec. Publ., v.2, pp.125–140.
Singh, I.B. (1996) Geological Evolution of Ganga Plain–An Overview. Jour. Palaeont. Soc. India, v.41, pp.99–137.
Singh, P. (2010) Flood plain and hazard zonation mapping of Rapti River basin using Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques. Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, Department of Geography, University of Lucknow, Lucknow.
Sinha, R. (2005) Why do Gangetic Rivers aggrade or degrade? Curr. Sci., v.89, pp.836–840.
Sinha, R. and Jain, V. (1998) Flood Hazards of North Bihar Rivers, Indo-Gangetic Plains. Mem. Jour. Geol. Soc. India, v.41, pp.27–52.
Srivastava, P., Singh, I.B., Sharma, S., Shukla, U.K. and Singhvi, A.K. (2003) Late Pleistocene-Holocene hydrological changes in the interfluve areas of the central Ganga Plain, India. Geomorphology, v.4, pp.279–292.
Starkel, L., Froehlich, W. and Soja, R. (1998) Floods in Sikkim Himalaya- Their cause, course and effects. Mem. Jour. Geol. Soc. India, v.41, pp.101–118.
Te Linde, A. H., Bubeck, P., Dekkers, J. E. C., De Moel, H. and Aerts, J. C. J. H. (2011) Future flood risk estimates along the river Rhine Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., v.11, pp.459–473, doi:10.5194/nhess-11-459-2011.
Thakur, B. (2012) Surface and shallow subsurface study of Rapti- Gandak interfluves. A Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, Department of Geology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow.
Yin, H. and Li, C. (2001) Human impact on flood and flood disasters on the Yangtze River. Geomorphology, v.41 (2–3), pp.73–248.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Singh, D.S., Prajapati, S.K., Singh, P. et al. Climatically induced levee break and flood risk management of the Gorakhpur region, Rapti River basin, Ganga Plain, India. J Geol Soc India 85, 79–86 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-015-0195-6
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-015-0195-6