4. Flood Prone Areas of the Coastal Plains

The coastal areas of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra and Gujarat are included in this region. The magnitude of floods becomes serious in the lower reaches of the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri. The beds of these rivers are shallow which inundate after a heavy downpour in their catchments. Indiscriminate felling of trees in the catchment areas of the main rivers and their tributaries has accelerated soil erosion and silting of river beds. The estuaries of Narmada and Tapi lead to floods at the occurrence of spring tides. The coastal areas also submerge due to the surge of sea water at the time of tropical cyclones in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabia Sea. The occurrence of Tsunamis, as on December 26, 2004, may cause serious damage to life and property of the coastal areas. The small swift moving rivers of the western coastal plains may cause considerable damage when in spate.