Departmental Mandate & Framework

About FMISC Uttar Pradesh

Flood Management Information System Centre — Modernizing hydrological intelligence, flood plain zoning, and multi-agency early warnings.

Mission & Core Objectives

Flood Management Information System Centre (FMISC) was established under the Irrigation & Water Resources Department, Government of Uttar Pradesh, with technical assistance from the World Bank under the UP Water Sector Restructuring Project (UPWSRP).

FMISC acts as the nodal technical authority for:

Real-time automated telemetry data acquisition across 84 key river gauge stations.
Operational 7-day advance hydrodynamic flood forecasting for Rapti, Ghaghra, Sharda, and Ganga basins.
High-resolution satellite flood inundation mapping using SAR microwave radar (Sentinel-1A, RISAT).
Digital Embankment Asset Management System (EAMS) covering over 3,000 km of flood protection bunds.
Scientific enforcement of statutory Flood Plain Zoning regulations in municipal areas.

Institutional Linkages

Central Water Commission (CWC)cwc.gov.in
Operates 45 key gauge/discharge observation sites and provides 7-day advance hydrodynamic water level forecasts.
India Meteorological Department (IMD)mausam.imd.gov.in
Provides high-resolution Doppler weather radar forecasts, quantitative precipitation forecasts (QPF), and cyclone warnings.
National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC / ISRO)nrsc.gov.in
Disseminates rapid satellite flood inundation maps (RISAT, Sentinel-1A SAR) during ongoing emergency events.
UP State Disaster Management Authority (UPSDMA)upsdma.up.nic.in
Coordinates disaster preparedness, NDRF/SDRF deployment, relief shelters, and district-level emergency operations.
Survey of India (SoI)surveyofindia.gov.in
Provides high-accuracy Digital Elevation Models (DEM) and topographic basemaps for river morphology analysis.

Flood Plain Zoning Regulations (UP Flood Plain Act)

Statutory Land Use & Demarcation Rules

To mitigate perennial flood damages, river reaches are scientifically categorized into vulnerability zones based on historical flood frequencies:

Prohibitive Zone (Zone-1)

1 in 25 Years Flood Frequency

Strict prohibition on all permanent residential, commercial, and industrial construction. Permitted only for riverfront parks, agriculture, and afforestation.

Restrictive Zone (Zone-2)

1 in 100 Years Flood Frequency

Residential construction permitted only on elevated stilts or plinths at least 0.6m above the 100-year flood level. Basements strictly banned.

Warning & Advisory Zone (Zone-3)

Beyond 100-Year Flood Frequency

General building allowed with compulsory flood emergency evacuation plans and emergency electrical shutoff panels above ground floor level.

Flood Terminology & Standard Definitions

Warning Level (WL)

The water level at which flood warnings are first triggered and round-the-clock gauge vigilance commences. Usually 1.0m to 1.5m below the Danger Level.

Danger Level (DL)

The river stage at which water begins to spill over natural riverbanks and causes inundation of contiguous habitations or agricultural land.

Highest Flood Level (HFL)

The maximum all-time observed river water elevation recorded at a gauge station during historical flood events.

Freeboard

The vertical safety margin between the maximum anticipated flood water surface and the top crest level of an embankment (minimum 1.5m prescribed in UP).

Avulsion

The sudden abandonment of an existing river channel and the rapid carving of a new course, common in Terai rivers like Rapti and Sharda.

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)

Microwave satellite imaging capable of penetrating cloud cover and rain during peak monsoon storms to delineate standing flood water extents.