Provided that different dates may be appointed for different provisions of this Act and for different areas or different rivers.

Definitions In this Act unless the context otherwise requires-

1. (a) ‘flood plain’ includes water channel, flood channel and that area of nearby low land susceptible to flood inundation;
2. (b) ‘flood plain zoning’ means restricting any human activity in the flood plains of a river where the plains are created by overflow of water from the channels of rivers and streams;
3. (c) ‘flood zone’ means the area which is required to carry the flow of the maximum probable floods;
4. (d) ‘Flood Zoning Authority’ in relation to a river, means the authority appointed by the State Government under section 3;
5. (e) ‘land’ includes interest in lands, benefits arising out of lands and things attached to the earth or permanently fastened to anything attached to the earth;
6. (f) ‘occupier’ in respect of any land, means any person who has an interest in the land and cultivates the land himself or by his servants or by hired labour and includes a tenant;
7. (g) ‘Owner’ in relation to any land includes any person having interest in such land;
8. (h) ‘prescribed’ means prescribed by rules made by the State Government under this Act;
   • (i) ‘river’ includes its tributaries;
9. (j) ‘water channel’ means the channel in which the flows of a river are generally confined;
10. (k) ‘Low Flood’ means if water level in the river during monsoon rises higher than usual in other seasons of the year and results in over flowing of bank once in every two years; submerges the adjoining fields but generally doesn’t prevent flow of drainage of fields; also doesn’t create drainage congestion in the nearby populated area, it is termed as low flood situation;
11. (l) ‘Medium Flood’ means when the water level in the river rises to the extent that crops in the adjoining areas are submerged and populated areas are encircled with flood waters and the flood waters overflow the river bank, with flood frequency of 1 in 10 years; submerges agricultural areas and enters in the residential areas blocking the drainage systems for not more than 6 hours; waters in the residential areas and industrial complexes remain just below the plinth level as fixed by the Civil Authorities;
12. (m) ‘High Flood’ means any flood level of the river, which is higher than the danger level and corresponds to return period of more than 10 years;
13. (n) ‘Danger Level’ means a level of the river depicting the stage of the river, which if crossed by the flood waters, shall start damaging crops and properties and will affect the daily life of population. This level is to be taken as medium flood level or 0.3 m below the plinth level of residential areas and industrial complexes as fixed by the Civil Authorities, whichever is less;
14. (o) ‘Warning Level’ means a flood level 0.6 m to 1.0 m below the danger level depending upon the lead time available;
15. (p) ‘Highest Flood Level/ Historical Flood Level’ means the highest flood level of the river ever recorded at the place;
16. (q) ‘Very High Flood’ means any flood which exceeds 1 in 100 years frequency.