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India: Floods in Gujarat, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh - Information Bulletin No. 2

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India
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IFRC
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The situation

Monsoon floods continue to ravage India. While the southern states of Karnataka and Kerala are still dealing with the destruction, northern India is now bracing for the worst.

There are six states reported to be affected by flood so far - Gujarat, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. At least 251 people have died and over 20 people are missing in northern Indian states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Maharashtra, with several thousands evacuated.
Dozens of homes in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district were washed away after a cloudburst. Schools have been shut after the India Meteorological Department predicted heavy rain in parts of Uttarakhand.

The Indian Army, the air force, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and state authorities have been carrying out rescue operations in various parts of the country. The Maharashtra and Karnataka dam authorities were forced to open sluice gates due to incessant rains, resulting in flooding downstream along the Krishna.

Situation analysis of affected states

Karnataka is dealing with a trail of destruction caused by monsoon rains. The human death toll has reached 76, while the figure is close to 1,000 for livestock. Many people have been shifted to relief camps and the bigger challenge now is rehabilitation.
In the western state of Maharashtra, the death toll has hit 50. Most of these casualties (34 deaths) are from its southeastern districts of Sangli and Kolhapur as per the government reports.

In Kerala alone according to the government reports, at least 121 people have died during the rains ensuing floods.

Over a million volunteers have enrolled for cleaning work in flood-hit villages in the northern districts of the state.

Volunteers from various organisations have identified over 15,000 spots in Wayanad. They are moving in batches and have started the cleaning mission. They will remove the mud and slush from the houses, clean wells and the locality.
The state was still recovering from last year’s floods—the worst in a century with over 400 people dead—when calamity struck again this time.

In Uttrakhand and Himachal Pradesh, according to media reports more than 20 people have died and 12 injured due to heavy rainfall on 18 August.

Furthermore in Andhra Pradesh, more than 8,000 people have been evacuated and moved to 56 relief camps due to heavy discharge of floodwater from the upstream reservoirs of the Krishna basin. The situation worsened on 15 August, after 8 lakh1 cusecs2 of water were released from the Prakasam Barrage in Vijayawada

Government actions

The Government of India has taken immediate action with regards to the floods where relief camps and distribution centres have been set up by administration in the affected districts. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been deployed for rescue operation. Local authorities are providing medical services and as well as food and household items distribution to the affected people.