Application of GIS and RS for Flood Evacuation Planning: Olpad Taluka (Surat) Case Study

Abstract

Flood is natural phenomenon which brings damage to properties, infrastructures, animals, plants and human lives. Issue of flood involves the emergency response of services related to evacuation relief center and health center facility.GIS and Remote sensing helps to identify suitable relief centers, road network availability and evacuation planning. (The Role of GIS in Emergency Planning, 2011).Evacuation planning is useful at time of disaster for movement of people to a safer location and their return. For evacuation planning shelters are identify from existing schools, colleges. Shelters are not located in normal flood area .Road network is available between relief center and flood area All this information and decision making is done with help of GIS (National Disaster Management Guidelines Management of Floods, January 2008).In this research paper as a case study evacuation planning for villages of Olpad Taluka of Surat are studied. These villages are highly vulnerable for flooding due to flood in Tapi river.Evacution of people from flooded area to high elevation safe location is necessary. In this research based on resources available, elevation of village area, population density of area are studied. Suitable available shelter is identified which contains necessary facility for hospital, food, rail and road network. These locations are identified and digitized in QGIS software complete evacuation plan is discuss in this paper.