Individual Consultant, New Delhi (Former AICTE Emeritus Professor of Civil Engineering, Delhi College of Engineering).
Breaching of flood embankments often cause loss of life, properties and disruption of communication systam. Breaches occurred in Kosi and Farakka flood embankments resulting in devastation in North Bihar and Malda district in West Bengal in 2008 and 1998 respectively. A brief description and purpose of Kosi and Farakka flood embankments has been made with figures showing the behavior of the respective rivers with photographs of flood damage that occurred after the breaches. Different causes for breaching of earthen flood embankment are discussed. With very little data available from breach sites, author has made an attempt to critically analyze the exact causes of breaching in Kosi and Farakka marginal flood embankments with a view to avert such catastrophe by adopting appropriate measures against such breaches in future.
