Climate impact expanding flooding period in Assam: Seven months of floods in 2022

Incessant rain has inundated several parts of Assam and over 100,000 people are affected. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has put out an “orange alert” and forecast that several districts of the state will get “very heavy” to “extremely heavy” rain over the next few days.

Over 1,19,800 people are affected by the deluge in Baksa, Barpeta, Darrang, Dhemaji, Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Lakhimpur, Nalbari, Sonitpur and Udalguri districts, according to a flood report of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), reported the news agency Press Trust of India.

IMD’s Regional Meteorological Centre in Guwahati has issued a warning for 24 hours starting June 22, followed by a ‘yellow’ alert for June 23 and June 24. About 780 villages are underwater and 10,591.85 hectares of crop areas have been damaged across Assam.

The current wave of flooding began June 14, 2023. In 2022, the flooding started as early as May, with 62 per cent above average rainfall from March-May —  a 10-year high, according to IMD data. 

The state has seen several devastating floods over the last few years. Other than in 2022, floods occurred in 2019 and 2020 as well. 

The duration of flooding in the state has broadened over the years.

In 2022, Assam saw a devastating series of floods that started at the beginning of April and went on until the end of October, according to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) under the state government. 

Over 180 people died in the three waves of floods, the worst of which was seen from mid-June to mid-September. 

 Flooding in 2022   

Source: ASDMA

A similar trend has been witnessed in Assam over the last few years as well.

2021 saw floods from June 1 to around mid-September. However, the year before, in 2020, floods began in May and went on till the end of October. 

Flooding period from 2015-2021

Source: ASDMA

There are several other factor adding to the woes of Assamese people. 

Rainfall patterns over North East India in the last century have considerably changed, resulting in its overall drying up. An IMD bulletin in September 2021 forecast that normal to below-normal rainfall was most likely to continue over many areas of northwest and northeast India.  

In an earlier story, DTE analysed the geography of Assam and what changing climate and rainfall patterns have meant for the region. The number of rainy days decreased in most districts to the north of the Brahmaputra.

This means that increased rainfall now happens over fewer days, increasing chances of river flooding. 

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