OCHA Situation Report No. 6 India - Floods 2 October 2000
1. Like other Asian countries, India has been suffering devastating consequences of this year's monsoon rainfall. In late July and August, disastrous floods have caused severe damage in the north and northeastern States of Assam, Gujarat, 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 between 17 and 21 September 2000. According to information received from the Indian Ministry of Agriculture through the United Nations Resident Coordinators' Office in New Delhi, the impact and national response is as follows (as of 27 September 2000): 3. West Bengal: Damage - 520 people have died in the floods and 207 are missing - 17.8 million people in 144 blocks, 39 municipalities and 6,177 villages are affected - 1.4 million houses with an estimated value of Rs 2.862 billion (approx. USD 63 million) are damaged - 9 out of 17 districts are affected (Burdwan, Nadia, Birbhum, Murshidabad, Hooghly, Howrah, Midnapore, North 24 Parganas, and Malda) - 7,100 cattle were killed and 2 million heads of cattle are affected - More than 1 million hectares of crop area with an estimated value of Rs 10 billion (approx. USD 220.3 million) affected. The loss is estimated at 2,114 million tonnes. - Communication is cut off all over the affected districts including the national highway, railway lines to North and South Bengal. - Total damage (estimated by the State Government): Rs 30.89 billion (USD 680 million). Local and national response - The State Government is working hard at restoring broken communication lines and repairing breached embankments and railway tracks. It has reportedly opened 10,000 relief camps. 3.1 million people have been rescued so far. - Thirteen Army columns and 32 Army boads along with 4 Air Force helicopters have been deployed to support the relief operation. - The Civil Defence Forces have deployed 50 speedboats, along with 850 country boats. - So far the State Government has released Rs 726.4 million (USD 16 million) for relief/restoration purposes, however, Rs 10.63 billion (USD 234 million) would be required. - In addition to the relief efforts undertaken by the State Government, the Central Government has deployed Army helicopters and boats to rescue marooned people and to distribute food packages. The Ministry of Surface Transport will be restoring communication disrupted by the floods. - Allocation of food grains to the flood victims, as well as funds for the next of kin of the deceased in recent floods is being made - The Central Government has also released an amount of Rs 320.7 million (USD 7.063 million). 4. The situation in Bihar is as follows (as of 27 September 2000): Damage - 157 people were killed and 6.8 million people are affected. - 31 our of 53 districts with 6,689 villages in 166 blocks are affected. - 74,352 houses, worth Rs 522.1 million (USD 11.5 million), are damaged/affected. - 268,000 hectares of crops damaged - Road communication between Muzaffarpur-Sitamarhi, Aurai-Runni Saidpur, Katra-Benibad, Jhanjharpur-Madhepur and Phulparas to Kunauli has been disrupted. - Communication links including telephone lines and roads are disrupted in many districts due to which exact damages could not be reported. - Widespread damages, requiring relief operations have also been reported from the districts of Nalanda, Jehanabad and Kaimur due to flash floods. Local and national response - The State Government has reportedly mobilized 3,664 boats to evacuate marooned people to safer places, and 430 relief centres and 428 health centres and 218 veterinary centres have been opened. - The State Government is also distributing ready made food, salt, polythene sheets, kerosene oil, candles and other relief items. Food packets are being airdropped in Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi, Madhubani and Pukar, in addition to cash donations for the affected people. - Since 23 September two Army helicopters are in operation to deliver medicines, food, bleaching powder etc. to the affected areas. - In addition, the Central Government has deployed Army helicopters and boats to assist in the air dropping operation and to rescue marooned people. 5. The United Nations Disaster Management Team in India is closely monitoring the situation. OCHA has deployed a disaster management expert to assist the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator as well as the UN-DMT in New Delhi in assessment and reporting in response to the current floods. 6. No request for international assistance has been received by OCHA to date. 7. 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: (GVA) Mr. Donato Kiniger-Passigli, direct Tel. +41-22-917 26 53 (NYC) 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 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -