Flood

Scientists have pointed to the aggravating impact of climate change on flooding, along with factors including deforestation, failures in flood defences and a lack of disaster resilience funds

Southeast Asia is being pummelled by unusually severe floods this year, as late-arriving storms and relentless rains wreak havoc that has caught many places off guard. Deaths have topped 1,200 across Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, with more than 800 still missing in floods and landslides. In Indonesia, entire villages remain cut off after bridges and roads were swept away. Thousands in Sri Lanka lack clean water, while Thailand's prime minister acknowledged shortcomings in his government's response. Malaysia is still reeling from one its worst floods, which killed three and displaced thousands. Meanwhile, Vietnam and the Philippines have faced a year of punishing storms and floods that have left hundreds dead. What feels unprecedented is exactly what climate scientists expect: A new normal of punishing storms, floods and devastation. Southeast Asia should brace for a likely continuation and potential worsening of extreme weather in 2026 and for many years immediately following

India on Saturday sent a contingent of 80 NDRF rescuers and specialised search dogs to Sri Lanka for undertaking relief and rescue operations in the aftermath of unprecedented floods in the neighbouring country following Cyclone Ditwah, an official spokesperson said. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel have been divided into two teams. The teams, along with four rescue dogs, took off onboard an IL-76 IAF aircraft from the Hindon airbase near Delhi for Colombo around 4 am on Saturday, the spokesperson said. He said the teams are carrying inflatable boats, hydraulic cutting and breaching tools, communication equipment, first-aid kits and other essential rescue stores to support search, rescue, and relief operations in cyclone-affected regions of Sri Lanka. The deployment is part of Operation Sagar Bandhu launched by India to help its southern neighbour. Sri Lanka is facing one of its worst disasters after Cyclone Ditwah caused floods and landslides that left a trail

Sri Lanka's scheduled budget debate was cancelled for Friday and Saturday, and the Colombo Stock Exchange shortened trading hours on Friday due to the adverse weather

An Indian Air Force aircraft carrying emergency relief material for those displaced by unprecedented floods arrived in Sri Lanka early on Saturday morning. The C130 aircraft carrying essential food items and sanitary supplies reached Colombo's Bandaranaike International Airport airport at around 1.30 am and was received by the Indian High Commission officials and Sri Lanka Air Force officers. India on Friday launched Operation Sagar Bandhu' to assist Sri Lanka in its hour of crisis, and the first tranche of relief materials was handed over after the consignments were transported by the Indian Navy's aircraft carrier INS Vikrant and frontline ship INS Udaigiri to the island nation. The relief came as Sri Lankan authorities warned of an unprecedented disaster situation in the Western Province from Friday night due to rising water levels in the Kelani and Attanagalu rivers. Sri Lanka is facing one of its worst disasters as cyclonic storm Ditwah wreaked havoc, causing floods and ...

Sri Lanka closed government offices and schools Friday as the death toll from floods and landslides across the country rose to 56 while more than 600 houses were damaged, officials said. Sri Lanka began grappling with severe weather last week and the conditions worsened Thursday with heavy downpours that flooded homes, fields and roads, and triggered landslides across the country. More than 25 people were killed Thursday in landslides in the central mountainous tea-growing regions of Badulla and Nuwara Eliya, which is about 300 kilometres east of the capital, Colombo. Another 21 people were missing and 14 were injured in the Badulla and Nuwara Eliya areas, according to the government's disaster management centre. Others died in landslides in different parts of the country. As the weather conditions grew worse, the government announced the closing of all government offices and schools on Friday. Due to heavy rains, most reservoirs and rivers have overflowed, blocking roads. Authori

Torrential rains, floods and landslides have left 31 people dead in Sri Lanka with nearly 4000 affected in the last 11 days, as the Island nation grapples with one of its worst weather-related crises. Sri Lanka's Disaster Management Centre said on Thursday that 18 deaths were reported from the central hill districts alone due to landslides. In a terrifying incident, a passenger bus got trapped in rising floodwaters in Kumbukkana. Emergency teams managed to rescue twenty-three passengers successfully, Daily Mirror Online reported. Nearly 10 people have sustained injuries, while 14 persons are reported missing, Adaderana news portal reported. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake had called a crisis meeting to assess the deteriorating situation in 17 of the 25 administrative districts. According to the weather bureau, the island's southeast periphery had developed a low-pressure situation, which had developed into a depression and is centred 210 km southeast of Batticaloa. It is very

Several houses were flooded and vehicles swept away after a portion of a feeder tank of the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) collapsed at Thammanam here early Monday, officials said. The incident occurred between 2 am and 2.30 am when part of the water tank at the KWA feeder pump house collapsed. According to KWA officials, the tank has two chambers with a total capacity of around 1.38 crore litres. The wall of one chamber collapsed, and the gushing water first broke through the compound wall of the pump house before entering about 10 nearby houses. Ernakulam MLA T J Vinod said several vehicles parked in the area were swept away. Electronic gadgets and furniture in the ground floor of the houses were damaged. The water also entered a nearby health centre, destroying medicines and equipment, he said. Vinod said the tank was built more than 50 years ago. This feeder tank boosts water supply to Kochi city and Tripunithura areas. The damaged chamber stored water meant for Kochi city, he

The Maharashtra government on Tuesday announced a compensation package of Rs 31,628 crore for farmers who suffered massive losses due to the recent rains and floods. The government will provide Rs 47,000 in cash and Rs 3 lakh in the form of aid under the Employment Guarantee Scheme per every hectare of farmland damaged by the floods, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said. As to the loss of livestock, farmers will receive Rs 32,000 per animal, he said at a press conference after the weekly cabinet meeting. While sowing had taken place over a total of 1.43 lakh hectares at the start of the monsoon, crops over 68 lakh hectares of land were damaged, Fadnavis said, adding that as much as 60,000 hectares of farmland was damaged due to the top layer of soil getting washed away. As many as 29 out of 36 districts and 253 (out of 358) talukas suffered due to the heavy rains, the chief minister said. The package includes compensation for crop losses, soil erosion, hospitalisation of injured

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the loss of lives and damage caused by heavy rains in Nepal is distressing and asserted that as a friendly neighbour and first responder, India remains committed to providing any assistance that may be required. At least 40 people have been killed in different places of eastern Nepal till Sunday morning and five have gone missing due to landslides and floods triggered by downpour since last night. Of 40 deaths, 37 were reported from different areas of Ilam district in Koshi province due to landslides following heavy rainfall on Saturday night, Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said in a press release. In a post on X, Prime Minister Modi said, "The loss of lives and damage caused by heavy rains in Nepal is distressing. We stand with the people and Government of Nepal in this difficult time." "As a friendly neighbour and first responder, India remains committed to providing any assistance that may be required

Rains and floods have damaged 60 lakh hectares of land in Maharashtra, as per the initial estimate, and the government has decided to extend all benefits and measures usually provided during drought to the affected people, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Tuesday. He, however, didn't declare a "wet drought" as demanded by the Opposition, saying no such provision exists in the official manual. The CM informed the damage assessment will be completed in the next two to three days, and a comprehensive policy will be announced in the next week. "After all assessment is completed, a memorandum will be sent to the Centre for a relief package. In the meantime, the state will provide all necessary assistance. The Central fund will be like reimbursement. The government would declare a relief package for losses (caused by heavy rains and floods) next week," Fadnavis told reporters after chairing a weekly cabinet meeting. He noted the disbursal of Rs 2,215 crore aid covering crop loss

Excess rainfall and floods have damaged nearly 40 per cent of land under cultivation in Maharashtra, and the assessment of damages is still underway, a state minister said on Tuesday. Reports on damage assessment are expected to be completed by October 5, the minister said on condition of anonymity. Torrential rains and floods last week have damaged crops on lakhs of acres of land in several parts of Maharashtra, including eight districts of Marathwada, and parts of Solapur, Satara and Sangli. "Some areas are still inaccessible. Officials have been asked to visit the affected areas physically so that no farmer is left out. However, primary estimates indicate that nearly 40 per cent of the total area under cultivation is completely damaged," the minister said. Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, state Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said the government was working to finalise relief measures. "By October 5, the damage assessment reports will be completed. Based on that repor

Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority managing director Prakhar Jain on Monday said floodwater inflows in Krishna and Godavari rivers are stable with the second level warning continuing at the Prakasam Barrage in Vijayawada. Jain said Krishna river clocked an inflow and outflow of 6.86 lakh cusecs of floodwaters at Prakasam Barrage by 6.45 am. "Floodwater flow in Krishna and Godavari rivers is stable with 6.86 lakh cusecs of inflow and outflow at Prakasam Barrage and the second level warning is continuing there," said Jain in an official release. He said the water level in the Godavari river at Bhadrachalam in Telangana reached 44.4 ft while the inflow and outflow at Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage at Dowleswaram in East Godavari district reached 9.8 lakh cusecs. Jain observed that the first level warning was withdrawn at Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage, adding that two NDRF and three SDRF teams are kept ready for rescue work if needed. Further, he alerted the riparian people of

The government on Friday released over Rs 540 crore under the 21st instalment of the PM-KISAN scheme to more than 27 lakh farmers of three food-affected states - Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Uttarakhand. The PM-KISAN scheme is a central sector scheme launched in February 2019 by the Prime Minister to supplement the financial needs of land-holding farmers. Under the scheme, a financial benefit of Rs 6,000 per year is transferred in three equal instalments into the Aadhaar-seeded bank accounts of farmers through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode. According to an official statement, "the release of the 21st instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme was declared by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, through video conferencing." This instalment has been specially prioritised for the farmers of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Uttarakhand which have been severely affected by recent floods and landslides. "A total of more than Rs 540 crore has be

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday announced the launch of 'mission Chardi Kala', appealing to people across the country for assistance in restoring Punjab, which has suffered extensive damage due to devastating floods. In a video message, Mann highlighted the significant destruction caused by the recent floods, described as the worst since 1988. Sharing details to highlight the scale of devastation, Mann said, "approximately 2,300 villages were flooded, around 7 lakh people became homeless, and 20 lakh people were impacted." According to Mann, the floods resulted in damage to 3,200 schools, the loss of 56 lives, and the destruction of about 8,500 kilometres of roads and 2,500 bridges. Additionally, 1,400 clinics, government buildings, and 19 colleges were also severely damaged. The initial estimates indicate the flood caused damage amounting to Rs 13,800 crore. "After floodwaters recede and 'girdawari' (loss assessment), the loss could be more," he said. Mann emphasi

Floods in Punjab have damaged health infrastructure worth Rs 780 crore according to initial estimates, state Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh said on Monday while asking the Central government to announce a relief package. The floods, he added, caused extensive damage to crops, houses and other infrastructure. "Our machinery and medicines worth Rs 130 crore have been damaged. Severe damage has been caused to our 1,280 dispensaries and health and wellness centres. A total of 101 community health centres have been damaged," the minister told reporters "As per initial estimates, hospital infrastructure and medical items worth Rs 780 crore has been damaged," he added. Besides, 31 sub-divisional hospitals have also been impacted, he added. The health department with the assistance of several NGOs is providing medical aid in flood-hit villages in the state, Singh said. He has written to Health Minister J P Nadda detailing the damage to the health infrastructure. Singh echoed his colle

Pakistan faces a second major flood in three years, and experts say empowering women and investing in grassroots initiatives could be the key to resilient recovery and long-term growth

India on Friday said it has been sharing flood data with Pakistan through diplomatic channels on humanitarian ground even as the Indus Water Treaty remains suspended. External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India has been sharing the flood data with that country through the Indian high commission in Islamabad. "We have been sharing high flood data with Pakistan through our diplomatic channels as and when it is required. This sharing of data is happening through our high commission in Islamabad," he said. "You've seen the kind of rainfall that is happening in that part of India and that part of the world. And this is being done based on humanitarian considerations," Jaiswal said at his weekly media briefing. A day after the April 22 Pahalgam attack, India announced a series of punitive measures against Pakistan, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty with New Delhi asserting that "blood and water" cannot flow together. India has been maintaining tha

He added that appropriate alternatives have been provided to those whose houses have been washed out in the Udhampur floods

Punjab Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian on Wednesday said the state government has released a fund of Rs 71 crore to deal with the current floods. A sum of Rs 35.50 crore was released earlier to all districts. The fund is now supplemented by a sum of Rs 35.50 crore for 12 districts that have borne the maximum brunt of the floods, Mundian said in a statement. Additional Chief Secretary-cum-Financial Commissioner, Revenue, Anurag Verma, said the latest funding is meant for, among others, Amritsar, Bathinda, Barnala, Faridkot, Ferozepur, Fazilka, Fatehgarh Sahib and Gurdaspur.