NEW DELHI: Floods and landslides triggered by monsoon rains have killed more than 100 people across India since July, official data showed Wednesday (Aug 5), with thousands forced to flee their inundated homes.
While the annual monsoon brings rainfall that farmers depend on, scientists say climate change is making the phenomenon more erratic, unpredictable and deadly across the South Asia region.
India’s northeastern state of Assam is among the hardest hit by the annual rains, with at least 87 people killed, according to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
In the state’s worst-affected Sivasagar district, some 47 people have been killed as several areas remain under water.
State authorities have appealed for financial donations from the public to support relief and rehabilitation efforts.
“The devastation here is unlike anything these areas have witnessed before,” Sarma posted on X.
“Material losses can be restored, but no compensation can replace a loved one.”
AFP images showed residents using rafts and inflated boats to reach higher ground with the help of the state’s disaster response officials.
In India’s southern state of Kerala, Chief Minister VD Satheesan said at least 15 people have been killed and another seven were missing after heavy rains over several days.
More than 300 relief camps have been set up in the state, sheltering over 10,000 people, after rains triggered landslides and swollen rivers breached their banks.
In the Himalayan territory of Jammu and Kashmir, at least 31 people have been killed, according to a report by the public state broadcaster.
Monsoon-related disasters are an annual occurrence across India after the region’s long summers, when many parts of the country face water scarcity and drought.
