Deluge in the desert: Is climate change the culprit?
New Delhi: In India, floods are a common occurrence every monsoon but this year the situation is particularly dire with states such as Gujarat, Rajasthan, Assam, West Bengal and Manipur reporting massive damage to life and property.
Indian Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Thursday informed Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament) that as many as 600 people lost their lives so far to this year’s floods that began in the Northeast and spread to rest of India.
In June, India’s Meteorological Department recorded “extreme rainfall” in Meghalaya, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh. In some areas in Meghalaya, the rainfall was as much as 162 mm in 24 hours. According to National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), on an average every year, 7.5 million hectare of land is affected, 1,600 lives are lost and the damage caused to crops, houses and public utilities due to floods is worth Rs18 billion.
CIFOR