Extreme rainfall studies of the Brahmani, the Burhabalang, the Rushikulya and the Subarnarekha river catchments

Abstract

The rivers of Orissa region are prone to frequent floods during the southwest monsoon season, primarily because of the region lies in the normal track of monsoon depressions that originate in the Bay of Bengal and cross Orissa coast in course of their westerly to northwesterly direction of movement. With a view to estimating their maximum flood potential, it is necessary to find the maximum average rainstorm depth that has actually been realised in various catchments and to estimate the maximum rainfall that can probably occur in these catchments. For this purpose, the present study has been made and comparative appraisal made of the extreme storms rainfall depths thus arrived at. The present study is confined to the Brahmani, the Burhabalang. the Rushikulya and the Subarnarekha river catchments.