Continuous monsoon rains since the beginning of July have caused flooding in several parts of India. However, except for Maharashtra, the flood situation has considerably improved notably in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh with water receding in most affected areas.
The Union Ministry of Health and Family welfare is monitoring the situation and is in constant touch with its state counterparts. State authorities with support from central agencies, including armed forces, and paramilitary forces, are providing rescue and relief support to the affected population.
Disease surveillance has been intensified to prevent and control potential outbreaks. Chlorination of wells/tanks and distribution of chlorine tablets, ORS and bleaching powder, have been undertaken by the State governments.
Central Public Health teams, including epidemiologists and experts in malaria and leptospirosis, are assisting the State health authorities in instituting appropriate public health measures.
MAHARASHTRA
Since 24 July 2005, heavy rains over Marathwada, Konkan-Goa, and Madhya Maharashtra flooded upper stream catchments area of river Kal and Savitri. Heavy rains have caused disruption in rail and road traffic in Konkan region affecting Ratnagiri, Raigad, and Thane and Mumbai districts. During the past 24 hours Raigad and Ratnagiri districts received more than 200 mm of rainfall affecting 3505 families in Mahad, Mangaon and Chiplun taluka, while Mumbai and Thane received more than 500 mm of rainfall. Mumbai metropolis continued to remain cut -- off by road and air link. This area is also experiencing gutsy winds with a speed of 45 kms to 60 kms per hour. Towns affected severely by floods are Roha, Mahad, Mangaon in Raigad district, and Khed and Chilun in Ratnagiri district.
150 people have been trapped in a landslide in Juigaon of Mahad taluka. While 23 death have been reported from Raigad, 6 in Ratnagiri and 4 in Thane. Villages Charvali and Sonya area (Raigad district) were flooded while 40 houses in Kodoli village in Kalhapur districts were inundated.
Mumbai City experienced water logging of low lying areas, roads and streets affecting suburban's railway system and air traffic at Santacruz. District and state administrations are constantly monitoring the situation and providing required assistance.
Emergency support departments are carrying out relief operations, while medical teams are being constituted for surveillance of health needs.
GOA
Goa, under the spate of heavy rains, is experiencing flooding of low lying areas in Khareband, Ravanfod, Benaulim areas near Margo in South Goa district. In North Goa district low lying areas of Bicholim town centre and Mala Panaji have been affected due to heavy rains and high tide conditions in the rivers.
GUJARAT
The flood situation in Gujarat has improved. The total rainfall received is 625mm against the State average of 863 mm, which is 72.41 %.
No River is reported to be flowing at danger levels. About 2.98 lakh people had been evacuated by the State Government and another 4-5 lakh persons have been given shelter by communities and NGOs. A total of 213 persons are reported dead while 11 persons are missing. State Government in association with concerned Central Ministries/Departments is taking necessary relief and rehabilitation measures in the affected areas.
MADHYA PRADESH
Situation has improved substantially with the flood water receding in all the affected districts. There is continuous monitoring of health, sanitation and drinking water. Restoration of infrastructure like road and bridges is being done in the affected areas.
Names of districts affected:
[(1) Sagar, (2) Katni, (3) Rewa, (4) Satna, (5) Jabalpur, (6) Damoh, (7) Narsinghpur, (8) Panna, and (9) Chhattarpur]
[02 deaths have also been reported in Vidisa district and 01 in Umaria district due to heavy rains.]
| No. & Names of the districts severely affected |
2 -- Damoh and Panna
|
| No. of villages affected |
624
|
| No. of marooned villages |
25-30
|
| Urban areas affected |
06
|
| Population affected |
12.00 lakh (9.5 lakh urban:
2.5 lakh rural)
|
| Loss of human lives |
49
|
| People missing |
13
|
State Government is monitoring the supply of drinking water and ensuring that water is provided to the marooned villages in particular. Medical Teams have been constituted in all affected districts to check possible spread of infectious water borne diseases. Medical camps have been set up in Rewa and Satna.
HIMACHAL PRADESH
Water levels in Satluj, Beas, Ravi and other tributaries are receding.
No loss of human life has been reported.
JAMMU & KASHMIR
In Srinagar division, river Jhelum is flowing below the danger level both at Sangam and Ram
Munshi Bagh. River Chenab is flowing below danger level with a rising trend. Water levels in all
rivers in Jammu Division at Udhampur, Akhnoor and Doda are receding.
UTTAR PRADESH
Light to moderate rainfall has been reported in some parts of the State. As a result of release of 41,000 cusecs of water from Narora dam, the rivers Ganga and Yamuna at Allahabad is touching 81.6 m against its danger level of 84.73 m. In Banda district, the water levels in the Ken and Yamuna rivers are receding. About 36,700 persons have been affected in 57 villages, of whom 7,500 persons are staying in the relief camps. 19 persons have died and 12 are reported to be missing. District authorities have initiated necessary rescue and relief operations, including distribution of essential commodities. In Kanpur city, 106 unauthorized "katcha" houses, of a village, built on the banks of the river Ganga, have been washed away. About 60 persons have been kept in relief camps. In district Hamirpur 5 villages have been affected due to heavy rains and relief work is continuing.
UTTARANCHAL
There has been heavy to very heavy rainfall in the districts of Almora, Pithoragah,
Bageshwar, Nainital, Udam Singh Nagar, and Champawat. All the rivers are flowing below danger level. The rivers Bhagirathi at Tehri and the Ganges at Devprayag, Rishikesh and Hardwar have reported a marginal increase in their water levels. In districts Rudraprayag and Uttarkashi some road blockades have been reported.
ASSAM
Incessant rains in the past few days have inundated low-lying areas and affected Karimganj, Tinsukia, Lakhimpur, Dihrugarh, Dhemaji Majuli of Jorhat and Morigaon & Kokrajhar districts. This is the first wave of flood in the current year. With less rainfall compared to previous years the situation remains to be under control.
Brahmaputra is flowing above the Danger Level (D/L) at Dibrugarh, Nematighat, Jorhat, while at recording stations located at Tezpur & Sonitpur , Goalapara and Dhubri the water level is at warning level.
No. of Districts affected: 11
No. of villages affected: 414
Loss of lives: 3
Total population affected: 183148
BIHAR
In Bihar, few blocks of Muzaffarpur district and NH 37 (Muzaffarpur-Sitamarhi) have been closed. In Darbhanga district eighteen villages, seven Blocks of Sitamarhi and 5 blocks of Madhubani districts are affected. The level of water in Kosi, Ganga, and Mahananda rivers has been rising steadily.
ARUNACHAL PRADESH
Due to continuous heavy rains, floods have taken place in some parts of the Lohit, West Siang, East Siang, Anjaw and Dibang valley districts. Some houses have been submerged in Lohit district.
All rivers in the State are flowing above danger level.
SIKKIM
Due to heavy rain NH-31A has been damaged at 6th, 9th and 10th Mile from Gangtok in East District. A landslide occurred at Geetang Karmatar on the night of 7th July, 2005 in West district, as a result of this some roads have been washed away. In South district, Melli-Phong road has been blocked due to landslides and it is likely to be opened after the monsoon only.
General
The situation in the States/UTs of Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, West Bengal, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Daman & Diu, Dadra Nagar Haveli, Pondicherry and Lakshadweep is reported to be normal.
National Response
The National Disaster Management Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs at central level is in charge of coordinating relief measures in the event of natural calamities (excluding drought and epidemic). The National Disaster Management (NDM) Control Room in Delhi has been monitoring the flood situation.
The Crisis Management Group (CMG) and nodal officials of the central Ministries meet regularly to review the status of preparedness for the current monsoon in the States.
The State and the Central Government authorities report that the situation is under control. Details on the specific situation are being compiled by local authorities and reported to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
International response
Though no request has been received from Government of India to any of the UN Agencies for any relief support so far, WHO India Office is maintaining close contacts with both MoH&FW at the central government level as well as at the state level and constantly monitoring the disease situation in the affected areas and providing technical support as and when required.