2021 Maharashtra floods
 The state of Maharashtra within India | |
| Date | 22 July 2021 – ongoing |
|---|---|
| Cause | Heavy rainfall |
| Deaths | 251 |
| Missing | 100 |
A series of floods took place across the Indian state of Maharashtra in 2021. As of 28 July 2021[update], around 251 people have died and over 100 are still missing due to floods and landslides. Thirteen districts have been affected in the western Maharashtra.[1]
History and climate change
Starting on 22 July 2021, Maharashtra saw heavy rainfall in many of its western districts. On 23 July 2021, NDTV reported that Maharashtra saw the highest rainfall in the month of July in 40 years.[2]
Climate change could have played an important role in causing large-scale floods across Maharashtra.[3] The observed data shows a three-fold rise in widespread extreme rainfall events across India, including those regions where the floods occurred. The local meteorological conditions showed the presence of a low pressure system in the Bay of Bengal, anchoring the monsoon westerlies blowing from the Arabian Sea. These westerlies brought in an anomalous amount of moisture from the warm Arabian Sea, releasing them as heavy-to-extreme rains across Maharashtra over a week's time.[4] In April 2021, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research reported about climate change heavily impacting the monsoon seasons in India.[5]
Impact and rescue operations
The most affected regions are the districts of Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Satara, Sangli and Kolhapur.[6] Due to heavy rains, more than 1,020 villages are affected in these districts. Over 375,000 people have been evacuated, of whom around 206,000 are from Sangli district and around 150,000 from Kolhapur district.[6] There have been more than 28,700 poultry deaths and around 300 other animal deaths in Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara and Sindhudurg districts.[6] Initial estimates state that over 2 lakh (200,000) hectares of crop have been damaged in the floods.[7]
Various infrastructural facilities were impacted and damaged. Around 800 bridges have been submerged, preventing physical communications with various villages.[8] The drinking water supply of around 700 villages was affected and the rainfall also caused damage to about 14,700 electric transformers, affecting the power supply to nearly 9.5 lakh (950,000) consumers. As of 28 July 2021[update], the power supply to about 6.5 lakh (650,000) consumers was restored through repairs of nearly 9500 transformers.[6]
Around 34 teams from National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were deployed for rescue missions in various regions.[1] The Central Government on 27 July 2021 declared financial aid of ₹700 crore (US$84 million)[9] The Maharashtra state's MLAs of Bharatiya Janata Party also announced that they would donate one month's salary for relief support.[10]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Maharashtra floods claim 251 lives, 13 districts across state affected, says Nawab Malik". 27 July 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
- ^ Gupta, Saurabh (23 July 2021). "40-Year Record For Maharashtra Rain, At Least 36 Dead". NDTV. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
- ^ Roxy, M. K.; Ghosh, Subimal; Pathak, Amey; Athulya, R.; Mujumdar, Milind; Murtugudde, Raghu; Terray, Pascal; Rajeevan, M. (3 October 2017). "A threefold rise in widespread extreme rain events over central India". Nature Communications. 8 (1): 708. doi:10.1038/s41467-017-00744-9. ISSN 2041-1723.
- ^ "WATCH: From floods in China, Germany to heavy downpour in Maharashtra, what's the common link — a climate scientist explains". Gaonconnection | Your Connection with Rural India. 24 July 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
- ^ "India monsoon death toll rises as search for missing continues". Al Jazeera. 25 July 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
- ^ a b c d Waghmode, Vishawas (28 July 2021). "Maharashtra floods: Death toll climbs to 207, highest in Raigad with 95". Indian Express. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
- ^ "Maharashtra floods damage 2 lakh hectares of standing crop". The Hindu. 27 July 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
- ^ "Restore Electricity, Water Supply In Flood-Hit Areas: Maharashtra Chief Minister". NDTV.com. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
- ^ "₹700 cr approved for Maharashtra flood relief: Minister Tomar to Parliament". Hindustan Times. 27 July 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
- ^ "Maharashtra floods: BJP legislators to donate salaries to CMRF". Indian Express. 28 July 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2021.