Erratic, incessant rainfall brings floods to many states in India

Many Indian states are currently battling with floods and three of them have seen it kill at least 70 people. Heavy monsoon rainfall intensified by depression is the main reason behind the natural disaster.

The depression first formed in the Bay of Bengal on August 6, 2019 and travelled across the mainland bringing incessant rains to eastern states like Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. The rains intensified once the depression reached western India causing floods in Gujarat and Rajasthan.

In states like Kerala, where monsoon rainfall is usually heavy, the depression intensified it causing heavy floods. In Karnataka, around 1.5 lakh hectares of standing crops and vegetables have been destroyed by floods.

Sangli and Kolhapur, which are considered the sugar bowls of Maharashtra, are completely submerged, threatening the livelihood of the farmers there. Landslides and flash floods have destroyed houses, damaged roads and swept away electric poles and trees.

As many major and minor rivers are flowing close to danger mark, many states’ authorities have opened up gates of dams.

After a lean first month of monsoon, erratic and extreme rain patterns were observed in July and August. And, this led to floods across all regions of the country.