What is a floodplain?
Floodplain, commonly known as a flood zone, is the land around a river which goes under water during a flood. The land extending 500m on both sides of a river’s course usually constitutes the floodplain
What can a floodplain be used for?
Only for farming
Can construction be carried out on floodplain?
No concrete structure can be raised on a floodplain. Only makeshift structures are allowed.
No equipment other than those used for irrigation are allowed
How come so many farmhouses have come up on Yamuna’s floodplains?
There are no laws preventing such constructions. At present, concrete structures on a riverbed are prohibited only by rules laid down in masterplans and zonal plans, and by govt policies. Developers take full advantage of this loophole. At worst, the illegal structures are razed.
Reproduced from Mail Today, 13th, February, 2012.
