2021 Saw An Increase In Floods Across India, And It Has Lessons For Us To Be Prepared For 2022

2021, especially the second half of it in India was dominated by heavy rains, large-scale flooding, and destructions in many states across the country.

From, Uttarakhand to Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka the rains were heavier and the subsequent floods were more devastating than usual this time around.

In Kerala, where India's annual southwestern Monsoon starts, the pre-monsoon showers had begun in May and transitioned into a monsoon in June.

Reuters

While the Monsoon went relatively event-free in Kerala compared to the previous years, the tail end of it was a different story altogether.

In September and October, Kerala received unprecedented rains almost at par with the heavy rains and floods of 2018.

In the meantime, other southern states including Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra and Telangana were also facing devastating floods of their own.

AFP

In 2021, September was the worst month when it comes to floods, with West Bengal, Assam, Odisha, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat experiencing floods along with the southern states.

Uttarakhand floods

In October, the floods hit the hill state of Uttrakhand which killed nearly 70 people and inundated several key cities.

This was the second major natural disaster to hit Uttarakhand in 2021, the first was in February when a glacier burst in Joshimath.

A portion of the Nanda Devi glacier had broken off, causing a flash flood that hit Chamoli district.

Reuters

Over 200 people including dozens of workers who were trapped inside a tunnel in the Tapovan dam site were killed in the disaster.

What triggered the rock and hanging glacier to fall in Uttarakhand remains an open question.

The study conducted by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) said that the flood was not caused by a Glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) as there were no significant glacial lakes in the area.

The study further noted that a strong western disturbance resulted in heavy precipitation in the area, causing the rockslide and increasing the flood magnitude downstream.

Nasa Earth Observatory

Over the years, especially after the devastating floods of 2013, the state of the ecology of Uttarakhand has been a serious concern.

Many experts had pointed out that unplanned construction activities and mining in flood-prone areas and ecologically sensitive zones have exacerbated the situation.

They also pointed out that massive construction projects like the one that was underway in Tapovan, when the glacier burst happened are not feasible for the area.

More cyclones and low pressure areas

Except for Uttarakhand and UP to an extend, the floods in other states were largely blamed on a series of cyclones, low-pressure areas and cyclonic circulations in both the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal.

In 2021, there were four major cyclones that hit India -- Yaas, Tauktae, Gulaab and Jawad.

AP

However, the number of low-pressure areas that formed in both the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal were much higher and they brought more rains to the coastal areas.

In November, a cyclone and a low pressure had formed in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea almost simultaneously, which is an extremely rare occurrence.

Will become more frequent

While the rains and floods in 2021 have been largely described as 'unprecedented', experts say that this could be the new normal in the coming years. They have pointed out that the weather patterns in India have changed and due to global warming, such weather incidents will become more common in the days ahead.

Wake-up call

This warning and the experience in 2021 should act as a wake-up call for India to avoid scenes like people taking a tractor ride to airports in the coming years.

While we cannot reverse climate change and global warming, which are only predicted to get worse, India, especially the coastal states which are first in the line of disasters can be better prepared. This includes improving the infrastructure like rain and storm shelters in case of mass evacuations. Citizens should also be trained in basic flood rescue SOP, as they could be the first to reach the spot of a disaster like a flood or landslide.

BCCL

To avoid cities like Bengaluru and Chennai getting inundated, it is necessary to clean up our notoriously clogged drainage system before the rains. In addition to this, the water sources within the cities, including lakes and rivers which have been encroached upon and have become dumping yards should be cleared to accommodate the excess rainwater.

In Uttrakhand, where landslides are an equal or even greater threat than floods, it is important to address the root cause - deforestation and unplanned development being carried out on ecologically fragile areas.

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