New Delhi: In a landmark initiative that strengthens India’s disaster resilience and flood response capacity, Union Minister of Jal Shakti Shri C. R. Patil inaugurated C-FLOOD, a Unified Inundation Forecasting System, at Shram Shakti Bhawan, New Delhi today. The platform has been collaboratively developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Pune, and the Central Water Commission (CWC) under the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD & GR).
This transformative initiative has been executed under the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM)—jointly steered by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
What is C-FLOOD?
C-FLOOD is a web-based platform designed to provide two-day advance flood inundation forecasts at village-level resolution, combining:
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Flood inundation maps
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Water level predictions
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Hydrological simulations
The forecasts cover the Mahanadi, Godavari, and Tapi river basins, with plans to expand to other river systems across the country. It acts as a unified system, consolidating flood modeling outputs from national and regional agencies—serving as a comprehensive decision-support tool for local and national disaster management authorities.
Technology Behind the Forecast
The C-FLOOD platform leverages advanced 2-D hydrodynamic modeling for simulating flood scenarios. These simulations are run on High-Performance Computing (HPC) infrastructure under NSM at C-DAC, Pune, for the Mahanadi basin.
Meanwhile, the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) has contributed flood forecast outputs for the Godavari and Tapi basins under the National Hydrology Project (NHP). This integration enhances forecasting accuracy, speed, and spatial reach, allowing for a high level of public preparedness and real-time decision-making.
Ministerial Vision and Directives
On the occasion, Shri C.R. Patil lauded the collaborative efforts of CWC, C-DAC, and NRSC, stating that the platform represents a state-of-the-art leap in proactive flood risk management.
The Minister issued the following key directives:
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Widespread dissemination of the C-FLOOD portal to raise public awareness
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Comprehensive planning to conduct inundation studies for all Indian river basins
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Integration of forecasts with the National Disaster Management Emergency Response Portal (NDEM)
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Enhancement of forecast accuracy via satellite validation, ground-truthing, and real-time data assimilation
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Close coordination between CWC, C-DAC, NRSC, and state stakeholders for effective and continuous system improvement
A Step Towards Resilient India
The C-FLOOD system signifies a paradigm shift in India’s approach to flood preparedness and mitigation, moving from reactive response to predictive, data-driven planning. It is a milestone in the Digital India and Atmanirbhar Bharat narratives, ensuring that even remote villages are equipped with critical information during flood threats.
By embracing scientific modeling, HPC power, and inter-agency collaboration, the initiative strengthens the nation’s climate resilience framework, particularly vital in the era of unpredictable monsoons and increasing hydrometeorological hazards.
Conclusion
With the operationalization of C-FLOOD, India marks a pivotal moment in flood management infrastructure. The government’s vision to anticipate disasters before they strike reflects a robust commitment to protect lives, livelihoods, and property—setting a global benchmark for early-warning systems in developing economies.
For more details, check press release on PIB website.
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