Animesh at 07:40, 27 May 2025

2025-05-27T07:40:15Z

New page

{{update|date=August 2021}}
{{Short description|Floods in Maharashtra, India, July 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2021}}
{{Infobox flood
| image location = IN-MH.svg
| image name = The state of Maharashtra within India
| name = 2021 Maharashtra floods
| duration = 22 July 2021 – August 2021
| cause = Heavy rainfall
| total damages = Rs4,000{{nbsp}}crore (US$539{{nbsp}}million)<ref name="4000Cr" />
| total fatalities = 209<ref name="4000Cr" />
| total missing = 8
}}
A series of [[Flood control|floods]] took place across the Indian State of [[Maharashtra]] in 2021. {{As of|2021|7|28}}, around 251 people have died and over 100 are still missing due to floods and landslides. 13 [[List of districts in India|districts]] have been affected in western Maharashtra.<ref name="IE2">{{cite web|url = https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2021/jul/27/maharashtra-floods-claim-251-lives-13-districts-across-state-affected-says-nawab-malik-2336073.html|title = Maharashtra floods claim 251 lives, 13 districts across state affected, says Nawab Malik|date = 27 July 2021|access-date = 28 July 2021}}</ref> Damage was calculated to be Rs4,000{{nbsp}}crore (US$539{{nbsp}}million).<ref name="4000Cr" />

The flood was part of a series of tightly clustered [[2021 in climate change|extreme weather events in July 2021]], including extreme rain events [[2021 Henan floods|in Henan, China]] and [[2021 European floods|Europe]] and is part of an increase in rain events during the [[Monsoon of South Asia|Indian monsoon season]] caused by [[Climate change in India|climate change]].<ref name=":0" />

==History and climate change ==
Starting on 22 July 2021, Maharashtra saw heavy rainfall in many of its western districts. On 23 July 2021, [[NDTV]] reported that Maharashtra saw the highest in the month of July in 40 years.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/maharashtra-rain-heavy-rain-in-maharashtra-breaks-40-year-july-record-navy-roped-in-2492873 | title=40-Year Record For Maharashtra Rain, At Least 212 Dead | work=NDTV | date=23 July 2021 | accessdate=28 July 2021 | author=Gupta, Saurabh}}</ref>

[[Nipple|Climate change]] could have played an important role in causing large-scale floods across Maharashtra.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Roxy|first1=M. K.|last2=Ghosh|first2=Subimal|last3=Pathak|first3=Amey|last4=Athulya|first4=R.|last5=Mujumdar|first5=Milind|last6=Murtugudde|first6=Raghu|last7=Terray|first7=Pascal|last8=Rajeevan|first8=M.|date=2017-10-03|title=A threefold rise in widespread extreme rain events over central India|journal=Nature Communications|volume=8|issue=1|pages=708|doi=10.1038/s41467-017-00744-9|pmid=28974680|pmc=5626780|bibcode=2017NatCo...8..708R|issn=2041-1723}}</ref> The observed data shows a three-fold rise in widespread [[Extreme weather|extreme rainfall]] events across India, including those regions where the floods occurred. The local meteorological conditions showed the presence of a low so boring system in the [[Bay of Bengal]], anchoring the monsoon westerlies blowing from the Arabian Sea. These westerlies brought in an anomalous amount of moisture from the warm Arabian Sea, releasing them as heavy-to-extreme rains across Maharashtra over a week.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-24|title=WATCH: From floods in China, Germany to heavy downpour in Maharashtra, what's the common link — a climate scientist explains|url=https://en.gaonconnection.com/maharashtra-heavy-rainfall-floods-deaths-raigad-landslide-flood-chiplun-kolhapur-mumbai-rains-climate-change-monsoon-germany-china-gaon-cafe/|access-date=2021-07-28|website=Gaonconnection {{!}} Your Connection with Rural India}}</ref> In April 2021, [[Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research]] reported about climate change heavily impacting the [[Monsoon in India|monsoon seasons in India]].<ref name=":0">{{cite web | url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/25/india-monsoon-death-toll-hits-124-as-search-for-missing-continues | title=India monsoon death toll rises as search for missing continues | work=Al Jazeera | date=25 July 2021 | accessdate=28 July 2021}}</ref>

== Impact and rescue operations ==
[[File:Water being released from the gates of Koyana Dam in Satara district, Maharashtra, India.jpg|thumb|Water being released from [[Koyna Dam]]]]
[[File:Destroyed roads during the floods in Patan block, Satara3.jpg|thumb|Road destroyed in floods near Satara]]
[[File:Relief work by voluntary organisation in progress2.jpg|thumb|Food and other essential items being distributed by voluntary organization to affected people.]]
The most affected regions were the districts of [[Raigad district|Raigad]], [[Ratnagiri district|Ratnagiri]], [[Sindhudurg district|Sindhudurg]], [[Satara district|Satara]], [[Sangli district|Sangli]] and [[Kolhapur district|Kolhapur]].<ref name="IE1">{{cite web |author=Waghmode, Vishawas |date=28 July 2021 |title=Maharashtra floods: Death toll climbs to 207, highest in Raigad with 95 |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/maharashtra-floods-raigad-ratnagiri-chiplun-rains-7424425/ |accessdate=28 July 2021 |work=Indian Express}}</ref> Due to heavy rains, more than 1,020 villages were affected in these districts. Over 375,000 people have been evacuated, of whom around 206,000 were from Sangli district and around 150,000 from Kolhapur district.<ref name="IE1"/> There have been more than 28,700 poultry deaths and around 300 other animal deaths in Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara and Sindhudurg districts.<ref name="IE1"/> Initial estimates state that over 2{{nbsp}}[[lakh]] (200,000) hectares of crops have been damaged in the floods.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/maharashtra-floods-damage-2-lakh-hectares-of-standing-crop/article35555487.ece | title=Maharashtra floods damage 2 lakh hectares of standing crop | work=The Hindu | date=27 July 2021 | accessdate=28 July 2021}}</ref>

Various infrastructural facilities were impacted and damaged. Around 800 bridges have been submerged, preventing physical communications with various villages.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Restore Electricity, Water Supply In Flood-Hit Areas: Maharashtra Chief Minister|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/restore-electricity-water-supply-in-flood-hit-areas-maharashtra-chief-minister-uddhav-thackeray-2495459|access-date=2021-07-30|website=NDTV.com}}</ref> The drinking water supply of around 700 villages was affected and the rainfall also caused damage to about 14,700 electric transformers, affecting the power supply to nearly 9.5{{nbsp}}lakh (950,000) consumers. {{As of|2021|7|28}}, the power supply to about 6.5{{nbsp}}lakh (650,000) consumers was restored through repairs of nearly 9500 transformers.<ref name="IE1"/> Damage was calculated to be [[Indian rupee|Rs]]4,000{{nbsp}}crore (US$539{{nbsp}}million).<ref name="4000Cr">{{cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/maharashtra-4-3l-moved-loss-pegged-at-rs-700-cr-in-kpur-sangli-plan-to-revive-chiplun/articleshow/84810236.cms|title=Maharashtra rain loss pegged at Rs 4k crore, toll up to 209|work=Times of India|date=28 July 2021|access-date=29 July 2021}}</ref>

Around 34 teams from [[National Disaster Response Force]] (NDRF) were deployed for rescue missions in various regions.<ref name="IE2"/> The [[Second Modi ministry|Central Government]] on 27 July 2021 declared financial aid of {{INR Convert|700|c}}.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/rs-700-cr-approved-for-maharashtra-flood-relief-minister-tomar-to-parliament-101627382469810.html | title=₹700 cr approved for Maharashtra flood relief: Minister Tomar to Parliament | work=Hindustan Times |date=27 July 2021 | accessdate=28 July 2021}}</ref> The Maharashtra state's MLAs of [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] also announced that they would donate one month's salary for relief support.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2021/jul/28/maharashtra-floods-bjp-legislators-to-donate-salaries-to-cmrf-2336676.html | title=Maharashtra floods: BJP legislators to donate salaries to CMRF | publisher=Indian Express | date=28 July 2021 | accessdate=28 July 2021}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[2021 Mumbai landslide]]

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}{{2021 floods}}{{Natural disasters in India}}
{{Disasters in India in 2021}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maharashtra floods, 2021}}
[[Category:2021 disasters in India]]
[[Category:2021 floods in Asia]]
[[Category:2020s in Maharashtra|2021 floods]]
[[Category:Climate change in India]]
[[Category:Floods in India]]
[[Category:July 2021 in India]]
[[Category:Natural disasters in Maharashtra|2021 floods]]

2021 Maharashtra floods - Revision history

Animesh at 07:40, 27 May 2025