A brief update from our team working in India where flooding has already caused destruction and more rain is expected.
Written by Tarryn Pegna | 14 Jul 2023
A woman walks through monsoon rains in Delhi. This year they have already brought flooding and destroyed roads in parts of the country. New Delhi is facing a severe shortage of drinking water. Credit: Neeraj Kumar/Unsplash
The first week of July was the world's hottest week ever and many places across the globe are facing more frequent and intense weather events as the far-reaching effects of the climate crisis are being felt more and more.
In India, the monsoon season has started with extremely heavy rainfall – even for this time of year when rain is expected – and swelled rivers to dangerous levels. In the north of India, at least 22 deaths have been reported by local news agencies so far.
Delhi has already had its wettest July on record and schools in the city have been closed to help keep people safe. Tearfund’s country office, which is based in Delhi, reports that because of flooded roads, the local government has advised that everyone who can should work from home.
Along with the heavy rainfall, the flooding in Delhi has also been caused by the massive volume of water sweeping down the Yamuna River coming from the Hathnikund Barrage in neighbouring Haryana and from Himachal Pradesh where the BBC released drone footage of a motorway which has been completely destroyed by the raging waters.
At the time of writing, the volume of water from Himachal Pradesh had been reduced, but it will take time for the water level of the Yamuna River to reflect this change and the river is at its highest level in 45 years. This has resulted in three water treatment plants being flooded and New Delhi, part of one of the most populous cities in the world, is facing a major shortage of drinking water.
Earlier in June, thousands of people in India were evacuated from their homes to help keep them safe from Cyclone Biparjoy which caused flooding in the region and set a record for the longest-lasting cyclonic storm over the Arabian Sea. Now, people are being evacuated from their homes again. More than 23,000 people living in low-lying areas have been moved to safer places and as many as 12 teams of the country’s National Disaster Response Force are on the ground for rescue work.
The government has set up relief camps for those affected by the floods, but some residents have reported a lack of basic facilities in these spaces.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy showers in Himachal Pradesh for the coming days, which may further impact the flood situation in Delhi.
Tearfund is monitoring the situation and our local partners are preparing to respond as needed – particularly in areas where people who we work with have been affected.
We ask for your prayers for the situation.
Written by Tarryn Pegna
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