OCHA Situation Report No. 5 India - Floods 25 September 2000
1. Like other Asian countries, India has been suffering devastating consequences of this year's monsoon rainfall. According to the Indian Ministry of Agriculture, as of 22 September (exclusive of impact of the recent floods in north-eastern India), floods since mid-June have affected over 12.8 million people in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal provinces alone, and have claimed over 1,000 human lives in 12 States. In late July and August, disastrous floods have caused severe damage in the north and northeastern States of Assam, Bihar, West Bengal and Himachal Pradesh as well as in Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. 2. Following the devastating floods in late July / early August which affected large cross-border areas of India, Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh, renewed floods have wrecked havoc in eastern India, in particular in the State of West Bengal and Bihar since last week. According to information received from the United Nations Resident Coordinators' Office in New Delhi, the impact and national response is as follows: 3. West Bengal: - Nearly 400 people have died in the floods in West Bengal, while at least 15 million are still marooned. - Murshidabad has been the worst affected district, with over 275 deaths. - 118 blocks and 30 municipalities in 7 districts have been affected in the current round of floods. - Since yesterday, 24 September, improvement in weather and reduction in water discharge from dams and barrages has helped the situation stabilise a little. - The State Government is working hard at restoring broken communication lines and repairing breached embankments and railway tracks. - Indian Air Force helicopters are dropping food and water in Murshidabad, Birbhum, Bardhaman, Nadia and Hooghly districts, while army boats are battling to enter some of the worst hit areas in these districts. - About 1.5 million people have so far been rescued to safer places in the 7 districts. 4. It is reported that the low-pressure depression carrying heavy rains has moved north-westward over Bihar where the floods situation has taken a turn for the worse. The situation in Bihar is as follows: - 108 people have died as of Monday, 25 September 2000. - Nearly 4 million people spread over 21 districts have been affected by the impact of the floods this year. - The worst affected districts are Munger, Bhalagpur, Dumka, Sahebganj, Deogarh, Madhupur, Josidih, Sheikhpura and Banka. - The State Government has mobilised more than 3,000 boats to evacuate marooned people to safer places and the State Water Resources Department is maintaining a close watch on the river embankments of the major rivers (Ganga, Kosi, Bagmati and Burhi Gandak) which are all flowing above danger level at several places. - The Army is engaged in relief and rescue operations to evacuate stranded people and restore/repair damaged railway lines. Army helicopters today dropped food packets in the affected areas. 5. FAO issued a special alert on 22 September, indicating that as a result of the disruption to agriculture, marketing and communications, the food supply situation in some States is extremely tight. 6. The United Nations Disaster Management Team in India is closely monitoring the situation. OCHA is in contact with the UN Resident Coordinator's Offices in New Delhi and will revert with further information as it becomes available. 7. No request for international assistance has been received by OCHA to date. 8. This situation report, together with further information on ongoing emergencies, is also available on the OCHA Internet Website at http://www.reliefweb.int Telephone: +41-22-917 12 34 Fax: +41-22-917 00 23 In case of emergency only: Tel. +41-22-917 20 10 Desk Officers: Ms. S. Metzner-Strack / Mr. R. Mueller / Mr. S. Matsuka Direct Tel. +41-22-917 21 44 / 31 31 / 40 34 Press contact: (in GVA) Mr. Donato Kiniger-Passigli, direct Tel. +41-22-917 26 53 (in NY) Ms. Phyllis Lee, direct Tel. +1-212-963 48 32 distributed by - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Volunteers in Technical Assistance Disaster Information Center lists: www.vita.org/listsub.htm sitreps nat-dsr web: www.vita.org fireline - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -