DISTRICT FLOOD SEVERITY INDEX (DFSI)

Current Context : Researchers from Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Delhi and Gandhinagar have developed a District Flood Severity Index (DFSI) to measure flood impact across Indian districts.

ABOUT DFSI

• Data Source: India Flood Inventory with Impacts (IFI-Impacts).
• Measured Factors:
  • Average flood duration
  • Percentage of district area affected
  • Total deaths and injuries
  • Population exposed

Purpose : To help in district-level flood management and disaster planning.

Key Findings

• Patna: Most flood-prone in terms of impact.
• Thiruvananthapuram: Highest flood events but not among top 30 in severity.
• Assam: Dhemaji, Kamrup, and Nagaon faced over 178 flood events.
• Urban floods are worsened by poor planning and urbanisation.