Floods Across India: How Is Climate Change Disrupting Monsoon Systems?

Climate experts have correlated these monsoon events with climate change.

The flood situation has worsened in Odisha.

(Photo Courtesy: Reuters)

States across the country have been reeling under torrential downpours –while Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Odisha have been battling flash floods, Kerala and Karnataka have been put on yellow watch for flooding.

Extreme Weather Events have become commonplace around the world, especially in the last decade. Excessive rainfall across South Asia has led to flooding in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. Climate experts have correlated these disasters with climate change.

With this monsoon season becoming especially damaging, regions in India that have been prone to cloudbursts and flooding have had an even harder time dealing with extreme rainfall.

Climate Change Directly Impacting Monsoon Season in South Asia 

India's monsoon season has seen drastic changes over the years. These changes can be directly linked to climate change. While discussions surrounding extreme weather events have been commonplace for quite some time, meteorologists have witnessed a distinct shift in the track of monsoon systems.

"In a usual scenario, these systems tend to travel across Northwest India and reach North Pakistan due to the interaction with Western Disturbance. However, due to the change in the movement of monsoon systems, we have witnessed extremely heavy rainfall over South Sindh and Balochistan."

Mahesh Palawat, Vice President of Meteorology and Climate Change, Skymet Weather

Experts have warned that we may soon be heading towards more intense and frequent extreme weather events, even in places that generally don't record normal monsoon rainfall.

Aside from torrential rains, changes in the monsoon systems have also transformed some places with excess rainfall into those with deficit rainfall. This will most likely have an impact on agricultural output, specifically rice production. Because of this, the threat of climate change shadows food security and would have a very deep socio-economic impact.

"There is no doubt that most of the monsoon weather systems have been travelling across the central parts of the country, changing the area of rainfall. Climate change is definitely behind these changes, and thus, it calls for more research on the changes in the behavioral patterns of these systems."

GP Sharma, President of Meteorology and Climate Change, Skymet Weather

North India Drowning Under Flash Floods

Himachal Pradesh is bogged down by intense rainfall, which has led to heavy flooding and landslides that have left 36 people dead, according to government officials.

In fact, the state has been facing relentless downpours since late June. In the last two months, there have been multiple cloudbursts, flash floods, and landslides, which have claimed the lives of approximately 278 people and 587 livestock.

Its neighboring state Uttarakhand has also been dealing with a similar disaster. With a series of cloudbursts at the end of August, there were four casualties, and 13 people have been declared missing. The government deployed helicopters for rescue missions in the more remote areas of the state that were badly affected.

Uttar Pradesh faces a similar fate with 22 districts being flooded due to rainfall. So far, the casualties are low, with only one life lost. However, 1,097 villages have been flooded, out of which 153 have been cut off from the rest of the state. Over 2.47 lakh people have been directly affected by the flood.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have deployed 26 teams to provide aid via emergency supplies as well as rescue operations.

Varanasi, in particular, has been in a critical state with the level of the river Ganga rising. The river flooded over 115 villages, affecting 28,499 people. Approximately 608.572 hectares of crops have been destroyed, according to district officials.

Odisha has also been enduring flooding and torrential rainfall throughout August with 10 districts flooded and nearly 1, 757 villages affected. Over 60,000 people had to be evacuated. While rescue missions are underway, there are still nearly 100 villages that remain marooned off.

This has caused an epidemic of waterborne diseases to spread through the affected communities. According to officials, over 900 people reported cases of diarrhoea in the last fortnight.

South India on High Alert, Yellow Watch Announced in 2 States

Meanwhile, in the south of the country, cyclonic circulation has led to rainfall over Kerala and Karnataka. This is expected to trigger rainfall in the neighboring states of Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh as well.

For now, Karnataka has put several districts under yellow watch for flooding as rainfall is expected to continue into the first week of September. Rainfall has been wreaking havoc over the city of Bangalore, where major roads and residential areas have faced flooding.

Kerala has also been put under a state-wide yellow watch for flooding. The districts of Malappuram, Kozhikode, and Kannur have already faced both flooding and landslides. Flash floods also broke out over Seminari Kavala and Vilangad rivers. A family of five was killed by a landslide in the Idukki district.

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