C. R. Patil Launches C-FLOOD Portal for Village-Level Flood Forecasting

In a landmark advancement for India’s disaster preparedness and flood management systems, Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Shri C. R. Patil, today officially inaugurated C-FLOOD, a Unified Inundation Forecasting System, at Shram Shakti Bhawan, New Delhi. The event was attended by senior officials from the Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD & GR), the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), and the Department of Science and Technology (DST).

Developed through a collaborative effort between the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Pune and the Central Water Commission (CWC) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, C-FLOOD represents a technological leap in real-time flood forecasting and early warning dissemination. The system is a key milestone under the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM), which is jointly steered by MeitY and DST.

What is C-FLOOD?

C-FLOOD is a web-based flood forecasting and inundation mapping platform that delivers advance alerts up to two days prior to flooding events, down to the village level. By integrating inputs from various national and regional hydrological agencies, the system enables real-time decision-making for disaster response teams and targeted interventions to minimize flood-related damages.

Key features include:

• Village-level flood inundation maps

• Water level predictions for rivers and flood-prone zones

• Two-day advance forecast window for timely action

• Unified interface integrating hydrological data from multiple sources

Currently, the platform is operational for Mahanadi, Godavari, and Tapi river basins, and will be gradually expanded to cover all major river basins across India.

High-Tech Backbone: Supercomputing and Hydrodynamic Modelling

The forecasting system leverages advanced 2-D hydrodynamic modelling to simulate real-time flood scenarios. The Mahanadi Basin simulations are executed on High Performance Computing (HPC) infrastructure at C-DAC Pune, built under the NSM.

Meanwhile, flood modelling data for the Godavari and Tapi Basins is provided by the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), developed under the National Hydrology Project (NHP). This multi-agency synergy ensures the comprehensiveness and accuracy of flood predictions across geographies.

The system synthesizes:

• Real-time hydrological data

• Satellite imagery and remote sensing inputs

• Ground-based observations and water level telemetry

• River basin-specific digital elevation models (DEMs)

Government Push for Awareness, Accuracy, and Integration

During the launch, Union Minister C. R. Patil directed the CWC and related agencies to take several key steps to maximize the platform’s impact:

1. Widespread awareness campaigns to inform citizens, district authorities, and disaster response teams about C-FLOOD's features and usage.

2. Integration of C-FLOOD forecasts into the National Disaster Management Emergency Response Portal (NDEM) for unified emergency management.

3. Comprehensive inundation studies to be developed for all major river basins, not just the initial three.

4. Improved forecast accuracy through satellite data validation, field verification, and ground-truthing protocols.

5. Real-time coordination among CWC, C-DAC, NRSC, and other stakeholders to ensure that the system remains dynamic and updated with the latest data.

The Minister emphasized that flood forecasting is no longer a reactive tool but a preventive asset, and must become integral to India’s climate adaptation and disaster resilience strategies.

A Model for Tech-Driven Disaster Management

C-FLOOD is part of a broader strategy to digitally modernize India’s water resource management and climate resilience frameworks. It aligns with government missions like:

• Digital India

• National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG)

• Smart Cities and Urban Flood Resilience

• Climate Resilient Infrastructure Development

The platform is expected to be especially valuable during monsoon seasons, helping to reduce loss of life and property in vulnerable regions by enabling pre-emptive evacuation and resource mobilization.

Collaborative Excellence: Multi-Ministry, Multi-Agency Effort

The success of C-FLOOD is a result of institutional collaboration:

• C-DAC Pune: Developed the supercomputing and modelling framework

• CWC: Provided hydrological and river basin data and led integration

• NRSC (ISRO): Supplied satellite-based flood maps under the National Hydrology Project

• DST and MeitY: Funded and guided the project under the National Supercomputing Mission

This collaboration is being hailed as a model for inter-agency synergy, blending scientific innovation, policy vision, and technological execution.

Looking Ahead: Scaling C-FLOOD Nationwide

As climate change increases the frequency and intensity of floods in India, C-FLOOD will become central to India’s national disaster response infrastructure. In the coming months, the Ministry of Jal Shakti aims to:

• Expand coverage to Brahmaputra, Ganga, Krishna, Yamuna, and other major basins

• Provide localized alerts to Panchayats and district officials

• Integrate community-based feedback loops

• Offer training to local disaster response teams and technical officers

A New Era for Flood Preparedness in India

With the launch of C-FLOOD, India takes a significant step toward building a tech-enabled, citizen-focused, and data-driven flood management system. By fusing high-performance computing, satellite imagery, and ground data, C-FLOOD empowers both decision-makers and communities with early, accurate, and actionable flood forecasts.

As the system expands and evolves, it is expected to set new global benchmarks in disaster forecasting and stand as a flagship initiative under the Government’s commitment to proactive climate resilience.