India: Floods and Landslides - Jun 2023

In Assam, 34,189 persons in 11 districts were adversely affected by the first wave of flash floods. The Lakhimpur district is the worst impacted. As of 16 June, 11 relief camps opened in three affected districts. Landslides triggered by the torrential rains have further worsened the situation, causing certain regions such as Lachung and Lachen to become completely cut off from the rest of the state. (ECHO, 17 Jun 2023)

Monsoon rainfall and consequent floods, landslides and severe weather-related incidents continue to hit several parts of India (particularly the northern States), resulting in an increasing number of casualties. 9,572 people have been evacuated and 101,764 affected. In addition, 460 buildings have been partially or fully damaged across 51 districts of nine states. Over 125 deaths have been reported due to weather-related events in north Indian states in the current phase of flooding reported since 06 July. (ECHO, 12 Jul 2023)

Delhi has seen unprecedented flooding in its Northeast, East, and North districts due to the continuous rise in the Yamuna River since 12 July, which has flowed above the highest flood level. 25% of the city’s water supply is impacted due to the closure of three major water treatment plants. About 23,600 people have been relocated to safer locations in Delhi. (ECHO, 14 Jul 2023)

Rivers spilling above the danger mark have caused considerable infrastructure and property damage in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, which have been the worst hit states. Over 208 people have lost their lives, 621 houses are completely damaged and over 4,200 houses were partially damaged with damage centered in Himachal. Assam recorded 111,258 people affected by floods in 17 districts with one human life lost. (ECHO, 18 Jul 2023)

Between 18-19 July only, the National Emergency Response Centre (NDMI) reported four fatalities and more than 5,000 evacuated people and 589 damaged houses across 13 States. (ECHO, 20 Jul 2023) A massive landslide triggered by three days of heavy rainfall occurred on 19 July in Irshalwadi Village (Raigad District, western Maharashtra State, central-eastern India) causing casualties and damage. National authorities and media report, as of 21 July, 16 fatalities, dozens of missing people and almost 100 rescued people, between 80 to 100 people remain trapped under the debris of the landslide. In addition, more than 40 homes in the Irshalwadi tribal village are buried by the debris. (ECHO, 21 Jul 2023)

In the past three days, the number of casualties increased following the heavy rainfall that has been affecting the central part of India, in particular Telangana. According to the National Emergency Response Centre (NDMI) and media, as of 30 July, 23 people died due to flooding in Mulugu District, western Telangana, of whom eight in Kondai Village, which was completely inundated, the other in the Malyala and Dodla Villages. The Mulungu District received the heaviest 24-hour rainfall recorded in India during this monsoon season with 616.5 mm on 27 July. In the past 24 hours 2 fatalities were registered in Gujarat and one in Rajasthan due to severe weather related incident. (ECHO, 31 Jul 2023)

Monsoon rainfall, in combination with the remnants of tropical storm FOUR, has been affecting several States of India, particularly the Odisha and Chhattisgarh States. According to the National Disaster Management Authority of India (NDMIndia), in the past 24 hours, 24 people have died, 175,632 people have been affected, and 13,645 evacuated. (ECHO, 4 Aug 2023)

According to the National Emergency Response Centre (NDMI), between 9-10 August, 42 fatalities were reported, including 25 in Chhattisgarh, six in Uttarakhand, four in Himachal Pradesh, three in Uttar Pradesh, two in Madhya Pradesh, one in Kerala and one in Gujarat. 235 people have been evacuated and 556 houses have been damaged. (ECHO, 11 Aug 2023)

60 fatalities have been reported in the last three days, according to Himachal state authorities as of 15 August, with the worst affected Districts being Mandi, Solan and the Capital City Shimla. Media also report 20 persons still missing throughout Himachal Pradesh. In addition, 139 houses have been fully damaged and 639 houses partially damaged since 12 August in Himachal. More than 800 roads including National Highways have been shut down across the state with a significant impact on over 2,000 bus routes. (ECHO, 16 Aug 2023)

On 23 August, a landslide in Himachal Pradesh resulted in over 10 deaths, stranding 82 and damaging 121 houses. In Kullu district, multiple buildings collapsed. Over the past month, floods and landslides in Himachal destroyed over 2,000 houses, damaged over 10,000 houses, and directly impacted 500,000 people, with 3 million affected indirectly. (ECHO, 24 Aug 2023)

The impact of the recent rains has been particularly severe in the Kedarnath valley in Uttarakhand and the Kullu Manali districts of Himachal Pradesh. These areas were among the hardest hit by the earlier monsoon, and the recent rains have only worsened the situation, with widespread flooding and multiple landslides. In Himachal Pradesh, over 227 people have lost their lives, with 38 still missing, while in Uttarakhand, more than 50 people have died, and 13 are still missing. The rains have also destroyed bridges, roads, houses, and crops in various districts, including Bilaspur, Mandi, Solan, Una, Shimla, Hamirpur, Kangra, Bageshwar, Garhwal, Kashipur, and Chamoli. (IFRC, 1 Sep 2023)

Heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and lightning have been affecting eastern India, in particular the Odisha State, since 2 September. Media report, as of 6 September, 12 fatalities and 14 injured people across eight districts throughout the Odisha State, due to several lightning events. (ECHO, 6 Sep 2023)

Heavy monsoon rains have been reported over the past week in several states of India, leading to severe floods and numerous weather-related incidents, including lightning strikes. The National Emergency Response Centre (NDMI) has reported 23 fatalities and estimates that over 45,000 people have been affected and 350 houses have been damaged across Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab and Rajasthan. In Gujarat, almost 12,000 people were temporarily evacuated. (OCHA, 19 Sep 2023)

Over the last 24 hours, the National Emergency Response Centre (NDMI) reported six fatalities across four States: two each in Gujarat and Maharashtra and one each in Assam and Karnataka. During the same period, NDMI also reported more than 4,500 damaged houses across ten districts throughout four states, where the worst affected is Gujarat with 735 fully damaged houses. Since April there have been a reported 2,416 fatalities, 116 missing people, 1,889 injured people, and close to 110,000 damaged houses across 362 districts throughout all states of the country. (ECHO, 29 Sep 2023)

On 4 October, a flash flood have affected Sikkim State (north-eastern India), causing casualties and damage. According to the National Emergency Response Centre (NDMI), as of 5 October, 19 people died due to the sudden overflow of the Teesta River in the northeastern Sikkim. Almost 22,464 people have been affected, of whom 2,411 people have been displaced in six main Districts: Namchi, Soreng, Gangtok, Mangan, Pakyong and Geyzing. Moreover, 896 house are fully damaged, several bridges have been washed away, the Chungthang Dam and part of one main road have been impacted. Three districts of State West Bengal are also affected. Over 2,000 people sheltered in 26 relief camps and around 10,000 people have been evacuated and are being accommodated in 190 relief camps across nine districts in the southern and northern parts of the state West Bengal. (ECHO, 6 Oct 2023)

Heavy rainfall has been affecting the Sikkim State, a mountainous State in north-eastern India, between Nepal and Buthan, since 4 October, causing flash floods and the Teesta River overflow that have resulted in causalities and widespread damage. In addition, flash floods were also caused by a Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF) occurred in South Lhonak Lake in northern Sikkim. As per Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority, as of 11 October, 36 fatalities reported. The National Emergency Response Centre (NDMI) reports, as of 10 October, 79 persons still missing, 28 injured people, 3,845 evacuated people in 22 relief camps and a total of 87,300 affected people across four District in Sikkim. In addition, nearly 1,800 damaged houses were reported. (ECHO, 11 Oct 2023)

The number of casualties and evacuated people continues to increase due to the monsoon rainfall that has been affecting several States of India, resulting in severe floods and a number of severe weather-related incidents. the National Emergency Response Centre (NDMI) reports four fatalities across two states, of which three in Himachal Pradesh and one in Nagaland. (ECHO, 13 Oct 2023)

Following the heavy rainfall, flash floods and the Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF) that have been affecting the Sikkim State and the West Bengal State in north-eastern India along the Teesta River since 4 October, the number of casualties is increasing. According to National Emergency Response Centre (NDMI) reports, as of 15 October, the death toll has reached 100 fatalities, of whom 38 in Sikkim and 62 in West Bengal, where Namchi, Gangtok, Mangan and Pakyong are the most affected Districts. (ECHO, 16 Oct 2023)

The number of casualties continued to increase following the flash flood triggered by the GLOF event that occurred at South Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim District, Sikkim State, north-eastern India. After this event, there was a sudden surge in the flow of the Teesta River, which washed away several bridges, damaged parts of NH-10, Chungthang Dam and impacted several small towns in the upper reaches of the Teesta River valley. According to the National Emergency Response Centre of India (NDMI), 102 people have died, 76 are still missing, 4,418 have been evacuated and 88,400 others have been affected. In addition, a total of 2,002 houses have been damaged, out of which 1,423 are fully damaged and 579 are partially damaged. (ECHO, 18 Oct 2023)

Heavy rainfall, heavy hailstorms, thunderstorms and lightning have been affecting western India, in particular the Gujarat State, bordering with south-eastern Pakistan, over 26-27 November, causing several severe weather-related incidents that have resulted in casualties and damage. Media report, as of 28 November, a total of 24 fatalities, 25 injured people and significant damage to properties across the Gujarat State, mainly due to a number of lightning events. (ECHO, 28 Nov 2023)

Tropical storm MICHAUNG passed over the central Andra Pradesh and the neighbouring eastern Telangana States on 5 December and in the very early morning (UTC) of 6 December as a tropical storm and as a tropical depression. On 6 December at 3.00 UTC the remnants of MICHAUNG was located in the area of southern Chhattisgarh, southern Odisha and northern Andhra Pradesh States. Its passage caused very heavy rainfall across the four aforementioned states and the Tamil Nadu State. Media report, as of 6 December, 16 fatalities across Tamil Nadu. In addition, a total of approximately 390,000 affected people were reported across the Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. (ECHO, 6 Dec 2023)

Cyclone Michaung, followed by heavy to very heavy rainfall inundated many districts and cities in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh States. 20 deaths were reported in Chennai and five in Andhra Pradesh. Approximately 4 million people have been affected in Andhra Pradesh and 390,000 people in Tamil Nadu, with hundreds of houses reported damaged, including in a camp hosting Sri Lankan refugees in Tamil Nadu. 41,459 people took shelter in 373 relief camps in Tamil Nadu, and 10,717 in 125 relief camps in Andhra Pradesh. Relief action by Government and civil society is underway. Some areas remain inaccessible in both states, with people unable to reach assistance. (ECHO, 8 Dec 2023)