India: Floods - Jul 1999

The Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in New Delhi reports that the current monsoon is causing significant damage in the States of Assam, Bihar, Kerala, Tripura and West Bengal. In total, 69 people were killed, 3,212 villages in 35 districts have been affected and 15,058 houses have suffered damage. Flood waters from almost all the major rivers in North Bihar have inundated large areas. About 10 million people belonging to 10 districts of North Bihar have been severely affected by the flooding caused by breaches in different embankments. The water levels of the Ganga River and other major rivers of North Bihar are on the rise and if the trend continues, it could pose a threat to some cities/towns such as Patna, Buxar, Bhagalpur and Munger. The flood situation in Kerala continued to be serious. Around 300 to 400 houses were damaged. With the south-west monsoon continuing to be strong, several low-lying areas were inundated by flood waters. As many as 8,272 families have been housed in 277 relief camps in various parts of the state. The Brahmaputra River and its major tributaries continues to flow above danger level in different parts of Assam. According to official sources, the Brahmaputra River has risen above the danger level at Dibrugarh, Golokganj, Neematighat, Tezpur and Dhubri while its tributaries, the Sankosh and the Beki, have flooded new areas. (OCHA, 21 Jul 1999)

The Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in New Delhi reports that in the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, Tripura and West Bengal, sizeable flood-related damages have been reported. In total, some 5.5 million people of 6,350 villages in 77 districts have been affected and 29,535 houses suffered damage. 325 deaths have been reported. The flood situation in the state of Bihar has worsened with the flood waters of almost all the major rivers in North Bihar inundating large areas. Flood waters have entered over 2,504 villages of 21 districts. The flood situation in Karnataka continues to be serious. The Government has evacuated more than 2,000 people from low-lying areas and set up relief camps and other facilities to provide essential items to the affected population. (OCHA, 13 Aug 1999)