CWC Flood Forecast Website Failure at Start of 2026 Monsoon Season

June 11, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Screen shot of CWC’s FF website taken on June 11, 2026)

Fundamental problems continue to plague Central Water Commission’s (CWC) flood monitoring work. In the latest such incident, its main Flood Forecast (FF) website remained inaccessible for over a week, right at the beginning of the forecast season.

As per a CWC presentation at the annual flood preparedness conference on May 2, 2026, it has a network of 1543 hydrological observation stations & 360 flood forecasting stations including 201 level forecast & 159 inflow forecast stations covering 20 river basins in 27 states & UTs.

Continue reading →

India’s Rivers in Extreme Floods in Oct 2025

November 1, 2025November 1, 2025 SANDRP1 Comment

In Oct. 2025, we could find at least 06 flood monitoring sites of Central Water Commission (CWC), where rivers have crossed their Highest Flood Levels (HFL) after the end of South West Monsoon season 2025 on Sept 30 2025. Of the 6 sites, 2 each are in Brahmaputra basin in W Bengal and Ganga basin in Bihar. 1 site Anantharam on Musi river in Telangana is part of Krishna basin and 1 site Marella on Gundlakamma river in Andhra Pradesh is part of East Flowing Rivers between Mahandi and Pennar basin.

Continue reading →

Floods · Highest Flood Level · Monsoon · Rivers

Rivers in Extreme Floods During SW Monsoon 2025

October 4, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

This is the summary report of Highest Flood Levels (HFL) breach incidents which we could document from CWC’s flood monitoring website during South West Monsoon Season 2025. The monthly reports for HFL breach incident for July 2025, August 2025 and September 2025 can be seen by clicking the hyperlinks and the detailed final report can be seen here. SANDRP’s previous reports on the subject can be seen here: HFL breach incidents in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 (I), 2021 (II), 2022 (I), 2022 (II), 2023, and 2024.

Continue reading →

Highest Flood Level

Rivers Flowing in Extreme Floods in September 2025

October 1, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Yamuna river in severe flood at Mawi site in Kairana, UP on Sept. 02, 2025)

We have been able to observe river attaining new Highest Flood Level (HFL) at least at 18 flood monitoring sites of the Central Water Commission (CWC) in the last month of South West Monsoon 2025. These 18 sites are spread over 7 States & UT, including Jammu & Kashmir (6 sites), Maharashtra (4 sites), Uttar Pradesh (3 sites), Haryana (2 sites), Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka (1 each site) comprising 5 river basins including Indus (6), Ganga (6), Krishna (3), Tapi (2) and Godavari (1).

Continue reading →

Yamuna River

Yamuna SW Monsoon 2024: Upper Segment Misses Flood

October 2, 2024 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Yamuna river at Mawi site in Kairana, UP in Sept. 2024)

After remarkable deluge in 2023, the upper segment of Yamuna river has seen no significant flood spell all through the just concluded southwest monsoon 2024. This is unusual as the river generally witnesses at least a couple of low or medium flood spells in this segment every year.

However, this year the discharges from Hathnikund Barrage (HKB) in Haryana did not cross 1 lakh cusec figure even a single time. The peak discharge from the barrage was 87,017 cusecs at 06:00 hour on 26.09.2024.

Continue reading →

DRP News Bulletin

DRP 020924: HYDRA to protect water bodies in Hyderabad – a landmark move?

September 2, 2024February 27, 2026 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: An analysis of satellite imaging of 54 lakes taken in 1979 and 2023, secured by the HYDRAA from the NRSA shows that 40 lakes or nearly 75 per cent of lakes have shrunk by half. (Image: Twitter/DC)

The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Monitoring and Protection Agency, or Hydra was established under GO 99, dated July 19 2024. A task the agency has taken up in all seriousness is protection of water bodies in the Hyderabad Capital Region (it includes 4 districts). To begin with it has started demolition of buildings illegally built inside the Full Tank Area (FTL) and Buffer area of the water bodies.

In July, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy replaced the Enforcement, Vigilance and Disaster Management (EVDM) wing of the government with Hydra, a body mandated to tackle illegal encroachment on water bodies in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits and surrounding areas. Its strength was upgraded from around 800 to 2,200 and its officials came directly under the principal secretary, municipal administration and urban development or the CM himself. “Hydra will also ensure the protection of water bodies in and around Hyderabad,” former EVDM commissioner and Hydra chief A V Ranganath said during its inception.

Continue reading →

Floods

Rivers Crossing Highest Flood Levels in Dec 2023

December 22, 2023December 22, 2023 SANDRPLeave a comment

During ongoing North East monsoon season at least six rivers have breached highest flood levels (HFLs) at their respective flood monitoring sites in December 2023. All of these HFL breach incidents have taken place in two states of Andhra Pradesh (3) and Tamil Nadu (3). Interestingly, all of these rivers are part of East Flowing Rivers (EFR) between Pennar and Kanyakumari basin. The details of HFL breach sites and rivers are given in table below.

Continue reading →

Floods

Rivers Crossing High Flood Levels In SW Monsoon 2023 in India

October 25, 2023October 2, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Yamuna river near CWC flood monitoring site at Mawi in Kairana. SANDRP/June 2023)

SANDRP has compiled Highest Flood Level (HFL) breach incidents, which includes 2 incidents in June, 34 in July, 17 in August, 22 in September 2023. This report presents the final summary of all HFL breach incidents taking place during South West Monsoon season 2023. The PDF file has the details on all the HFL breach. Our previous reports on the subject can be seen here: HFL breach incidents in 2018, 2019, 2020, May-Sept 2021, Oct.-Nov 2021, May-June 2022 and July-October 2022. .

Continue reading →

Narmada

18 high flood levels breached in Western India in Sept. 2023

September 22, 2023September 22, 2023 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: The water level of the Narmada river near Golden Bridge rises to 35 feet due to heavy rains, in Bharuch on Sept. 17, 2023. ANI/TNIE)

Several of Narmada basin districts in Madhya Pradesh have witnessed heavy to very heavy rainfall spells between September 14 to 16, 2023 resulting in severe flood situation along the river in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat and resultantly leading to breaching of Highest Flood Level (HFL) at 13 sites in Narmada Basin alone. Similarly, there have been at least 5 more HFL breaches during the same period in western India.

Continue reading →

Floods

Rivers Crossing Highest Flood Levels in India in August 2023

September 6, 2023September 6, 2023 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: An aerial view of flood-affected areas, in Rishikesh. Image Credit PTI/ Sourrce:-Out Look, 15 Aug. 2023.)

Though August 2023 has turned out to be hottest and driest month in a century; the first half the month has seen extreme flood events happening in North, North East and Central zones of the country causing breach in the highest flood level (HFL) at least at 17 flood monitoring sites being managed by Central Water Commission (CWC). These sites are in Ganga, Narmada and Brahmaputra basins.

There are some sites where HFL has been breached in June and July 2023 also and peak flood level of these sites is given below the peak levels attained in August 2023. The details of 2 sites breaching HFLs in June 2023 & 38 sites in July 2023 can be seen by clicking on respective hyperlinks. A separate report analyzing the severe flood situation in Alaknanda and Ganga basin on August 14, 2023 can be seen here.

Continue reading →