ABSTRACT
Floods in Bihar has become a regular most recurring, wide spread disastrous and frequent natural hazards adversely affecting lives of millions of people of the state. It not only affected the infrastructure but also the socio economic life of the people. Among them farmers are badly affected as the loan which they have taken, now unable to return. Productivity of the cultivating land have got reduced during current as well as next season. The conditions of the marginal farmers have become worst due to flood. People of the state have migrated to other state as well as other cities in the search of work due to recurrent flood. Food security have got adversely affected due to flood. Food prices rises and due to low purchasing capacity of common man bring decline in demand. Flood damages the important services and infrastructure such as electricity, telecommunication, severage and public health. Flood high cost relief and recovery adversely affect the investment in the state. That’s why flood management is necessary to minimise the negative consequences and ill effects of flooding. In Bihar, the decision makers always pay attention for structural measures like construction of embankment, flood retention wall, flood levees and channel improvement to prevent flood water to cause potential damage. It is felt that structural measures are not sufficient enough to reduce the damage. Therefore non structural measures such as flood plan management policy, building bye laws, capacity development for PRIs (Panchayat Raj institutions) members such Sarpanch, members of the Panchayat, Gram sabha members, Women, villagers, ASHA workers are also required. It will become helpful for the flood policy. The purpose of the paper to highlight the severity of the flood impacts on development of the state and discuss the flood management measures in context of Bihar.
