2007 South Asian floods
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The 2007 South Asian floods were a series of floods in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan and Bangladesh. News Agencies, citing the Indian and Bangladeshi governments, place the death toll in excess of 2,000. By 3 August, approximately 20 million had been affected Last accessed 3 August 2007 and by 10 August some 30 million people in India, Bangladesh and Nepal had been affected by flooding.
UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Devel ...
said that the situation "is being described as the worst flooding in living memory". Last accessed 8 August 2007.


Background

Rajpal Yadav of the
Indian Meteorological Department The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is an agency of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India. It is the principal agency responsible for meteorological observations, weather forecasting and seismology. IMD is headquarter ...
reported that "we've been getting constant rainfall in these areas for nearly 20 days" due to abnormal
monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscil ...
patterns. Flooding in Pakistan began during the landfall of Cyclone 03B in June 2007. Pakistani states
Balochistan Balochistan ( ; bal, بلۏچستان; also romanised as Baluchistan and Baluchestan) is a historical region in Western and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. ...
and
Sindh Sindh (; ; ur, , ; historically romanized as Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the second-largest province ...
were particularly affected. Last accessed 3 August 2007. Melting snow from the
Himalaya The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...
n
glacier A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its Ablation#Glaciology, ablation over many years, often Century, centuries. It acquires dis ...
s increased the water levels of the
Brahmaputra River The Brahmaputra is a trans-boundary river which flows through Tibet, northeast India, and Bangladesh. It is also known as the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibetan, the Siang/Dihang River in Arunachali, Luit in Assamese, and Jamuna River in Bangla. It ...
. Last accessed 3 August 2007.


Areas affected in Bangladesh

On 1 August, there was flooding on the
Padma The Padma ( bn, পদ্মা ''Pôdma'') is a major river in Bangladesh. It is the main distributary of the Ganges, flowing generally southeast for to its confluence with the Meghna River near the Bay of Bengal. The city of Rajshahi is sit ...
and
Brahmaputra The Brahmaputra is a trans-boundary river which flows through Tibet, northeast India, and Bangladesh. It is also known as the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibetan, the Siang/Dihang River in Arunachali, Luit in Assamese, and Jamuna River in Bangla. It ...
rivers. Last accessed 3 August 2007. By 3 August, the main highway connecting
Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city ...
to the rest of the country was impassable, many districts were flood-affected and 500,000 people had been marooned. By 7 August an estimated 7.5 million people had fled their homes. By 8 August more than 50,000 people had diarrhoea or other waterborne diseases and more than 400,000 people were in temporary shelters. By 11 August, flood deaths were still occurring in Bangladesh, the number of people with flood-related diseases was increasing and about 100,000 people had caught dysentery or diarrhoea. By 13 August, the confirmed death toll in Bangladesh was 405. By 15 August, five million people were still displaced, the estimated death toll was nearly 500, and all six of Bangladesh's divisions were affected.


Dhaka

Districts in Dhaka that were affected by flooding on 21 July include Dhaka, Munshiganj, Rajbari, Madaripur, Shariatpur, Manikganj, Netrakona, Jamalpur and Tangail.


Khulna

Districts in Khulna that were affected by flooding on 21 July include Magura and Narail.


Rajshahi

Places in Rajshahi that were affected by flooding on 21 July include Sirajganj, Rangpur, Gaibandha, Bogra and Kurigram. Besides, Belkuchi, Enayatpur too.


Sylhet

Districts in Sylhet that were affected by flooding on 21 July include Sylhet, Sunamganj and Sherpur.


Areas affected in Bhutan

In Bhutan, the rain had led to landslides across the country, disrupting a number of major roads.


Samdrup Jongkhar and Sarpang

By 5 August water was still above the warning level in the foothills of Bhutan.


Areas affected in India

By 7 August in India, an estimated 13.7 million people had fled their homes. According to the Indian government, the total cost of the
monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscil ...
this year, of which these floods are a part, is in excess of since 1 June The full extent of the damage and number of lives lost may never be known. president
Pratibha Patil Prathibha DeviSingh Patil (born 19 December 1934) is an Indian politician and lawyer who served as the 12th president of India spanning from 2007 to 2012. She is the first woman to become the president of India. A member of the Indian National ...
has condoled the loss of lives due to the floods.


Arunachal Pradesh

Places in
Arunachal Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh (, ) is a state in Northeastern India. It was formed from the erstwhile North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) region, and became a state on 20 February 1987. It borders the states of Assam and Nagaland to the south. It shares int ...
that were affected by flooding on 12 July include Lakhimpur, Chamuah Gaon, Nowboicha and Bharaluwa Gaon.


Assam

In
Assam Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
, approximately 100,000 sought shelter in 500 government-sponsored relief camps. Millions of dollars' worth of crops were also destroyed. 500,000 residents in Assam were displaced, and nineteen have been killed. On 1 August 2007, a teenage boy from Assam was shot by a police officer after a flood as survivors attacked a group of aid workers.


Bihar and Uttar Pradesh

Bihar Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West Be ...
and
Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...
were the hardest hit states due to their high population density. By 3 August, the estimated death toll was 41 people, and 48 schoolgirls were marooned in a school in the
Darbhanga Darbhanga is the fifth-largest city and municipal corporation in the Indian state of Bihar situated centrally in Mithila region. Darbhanga is the headquarters of the Darbhanga district and the Darbhanga division. It was the seat of the erstw ...
district. Last accessed 3 August 2007. By 8 August, an estimated 10 million people in Bihar had been affected by flooding. Army helicopters delivered food packets to Bihar residents and 180 relief camps were set up. By 10 August, aid workers in Bihar said the number of people with diarrhoea had jumped dramatically and by 11 August, flood deaths were still occurring.


Gujarat

On 8 August,
Jamnagar Jamnagar () is a city located on the western coast of India in the state of Gujarat of Saurashtra (region), Saurashtra region. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jamnagar district and the fifth largest city in Gujarat. The city lies ...
reported 269 millimetres (10 inches) of rain and fresh flooding was reported in Gujarat. By the next day, nine people had been killed and more than 400 villages were cut off. By 10 August, more than 22,000 people were displaced and health workers were disinfecting the worst-hit areas.


Haryana

Haryana Haryana (; ) is an Indian state located in the northern part of the country. It was carved out of the former state of East Punjab on 1 Nov 1966 on a linguistic basis. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with less than 1.4% () of India's land ar ...
was affected by flooding on 12 August.


Himachal Pradesh

On 14 August in
Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several peaks ...
, a cloudburst caused a landslide that buried an entire village, killing an estimated 60 people.


Jammu and Kashmir

Parts of
Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir may refer to: * Kashmir, the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent * Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), a region administered by India as a union territory * Jammu and Kashmir (state), a region administered ...
, the part of
Kashmir Kashmir () is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, the term encompas ...
administered by India, that were affected by flooding on 12 August include Jammu city, Udhampur, Nikki Tawi, and lower Satwari.


Jharkhand and West Bengal

While relief efforts have been concentrated elsewhere in India, the plight of the traditional region of Bengal (the flood plains of the
Ganges The Ganges ( ) (in India: Ganga ( ); in Bangladesh: Padma ( )). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international river to which India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China are the riparian states." is ...
-
Brahmaputra The Brahmaputra is a trans-boundary river which flows through Tibet, northeast India, and Bangladesh. It is also known as the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibetan, the Siang/Dihang River in Arunachali, Luit in Assamese, and Jamuna River in Bangla. It ...
-
Meghna The Meghna River ( bn, মেঘনা নদী) is one of the major rivers in Bangladesh, one of the three that form the Ganges Delta, the largest delta on earth, which fans out to the Bay of Bengal. A part of the Surma-Meghna River System, ...
river delta and its tributaries) has been less reported. The Damodar and
Kangsabati Kangsabati River (Pron:) (also variously known as the Kãsai and Cossye) rises from the Chota Nagpur plateau in the state of West Bengal, India and passes through the districts of Purulia, Bankura, Paschim Medinipur and Purba Medinipur in West ...
rivers overflowed their banks in late June, but levels finally began to fall as of 6 August. The
Durgapur Barrage Durgapur Barrage is built across the Damodar River at Durgapur in Paschim Bardhaman district and partly in Paschim Bardhaman district, in the Indian state of West Bengal. It was constructed by Damodar Valley Corporation mainly for the purpose o ...
and
Kangsabati Kangsabati River (Pron:) (also variously known as the Kãsai and Cossye) rises from the Chota Nagpur plateau in the state of West Bengal, India and passes through the districts of Purulia, Bankura, Paschim Medinipur and Purba Medinipur in West ...
Dam (near
Bankura Bankura () is a city and a municipality in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of the Bankura district. Etymology In the Mahabharata, Bankura was described as Suhmobhumi. The word or (in Nagari: rāḍh) was introduced af ...
) may be partly responsible. In North Bengal, the floods have caused economic damage also estimated in the millions of U.S. dollars (at least
Rs. Rupee is the common name for the currencies of India, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan, Seychelles, and Sri Lanka, and of former currencies of Afghanistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates (as the Gulf rupee), British East Africa, B ...
500 million); and in
Siliguri Siliguri, ) is a major tier-II city in West Bengal. It forms twin cities, "Twin Cities" with the neighboring district capital of Jalpaiguri. The city spans areas of the Darjeeling district, Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts in the Indian sta ...
, flash floods have wiped away at least 100 houses on a single night (28 July 2007). The state government of West Bengal has set up facilities to house 50,000 refugees. As the flood has affected parts of the East
Midnapore Medinipur or Midnapore (Pron: med̪iːniːpur) is a city known for its history in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the West Medinipur district. It is situated on the banks of the Kangsabati River (variously known as '' ...
(
Purba Medinipur Purba Medinipur (English: ''East Medinipur'', alternative spelling ''Midnapore'') district is an administrative unit in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the southernmost district of Medinipur division – one of the five administrative d ...
) district, long-standing political divisions and conflicts have flared in the wake of the floods.


Kerala

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
was affected by flooding on 19 July.http://www.dartmouth.edu/~floods/Archives/2007sum.htm Flood Number 0124


Maharashtra

By 3 August most streets were flooded in
Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
and parts of Maharashtra were waterlogged. On 7 August there was extensive flooding in the Gadchiroli district.


Meghalaya

Places in
Meghalaya Meghalaya (, or , meaning "abode of clouds"; from Sanskrit , "cloud" + , "abode") is a states and union territories of India, state in northeastern India. Meghalaya was formed on 21 January 1972 by carving out two districts from the state of As ...
that were affected by flooding on 12 July include the West Garo Hills district, the Tura and Rishipara areas.


National Capital Territory of Delhi

New Delhi was also affected by the heavy rains.


Orissa

On 8 August, fresh flooding was reported in Orissa.


Punjab

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...
was affected by flooding on 12 August.


Tripura

Places in
Tripura Tripura (, Bengali: ) is a state in Northeast India. The third-smallest state in the country, it covers ; and the seventh-least populous state with a population of 36.71 lakh ( 3.67 million). It is bordered by Assam and Mizoram to the east a ...
that were affected by flooding on 12 July include Udaipur, Amarpur and Sonamura.


Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and ...
, which was known as Uttaranchal until 2006, was affected by flooding on 12 August.


Areas affected in Nepal

In Nepal, eighty-four people were killed by the floods and resulting
landslide Landslides, also known as landslips, are several forms of mass wasting that may include a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, deep-seated grade (slope), slope failures, mudflows, and debris flows. Landslides occur in a variety of ...
s and 9,700 families were displaced. Twenty-eight of the country's seventy-five
districts A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
were affected, in eleven of Nepal's fourteen
zones Zone or The Zone may refer to: Places Climate and altitude zones * Death zone (originally the lethal zone), altitudes above a certain point where the amount of oxygen is insufficient to sustain human life for an extended time span * Frigid zone, ...
and all five of Nepal's
regions In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
. Nepali officials were concerned about the spread of
waterborne diseases Waterborne diseases are conditions (meaning adverse effects on human health, such as death, disability, illness or disorders) caused by pathogenic micro-organisms that are transmitted in water. These diseases can be spread while bathing, washing ...
. By 7 August an estimated 333,500 people in Nepal were affected by flooding.


Central Region


Janakpur Zone

Districts in the
Janakpur Zone Janakpur ( ne, जनकपुर अञ्चल ) was one of the fourteen zones of Nepal, reaching from the Indian border in the south to the Tibetan border in the north and Sagarmatha Zone in the east and Bagmati and Naryani Zones in the we ...
that were affected by flooding from 23 July include Dhanusha, Mahottari, Sindhuli, Sarlahi and Ramechhap.


Narayani Zone

Districts in the
Narayani Zone Narayani ( ne, नारायणी अञ्चल) was one of the fourteen zones of Nepal until the restructuring of zones to Provinces, located in the central south of the country. The headquarter of Narayani zone was Hetauda. Narayani Zone i ...
that were affected by flooding from 23 July include Chitwan and Rautahat.


East Region


Koshi Zone

Districts in the
Koshi Zone Kosi or Koshi ( ne, कोसी अञ्चल, ne, :ne:कोशी अञ्चल, कोशी अञ्चल ) was one of the fourteen List of zones of Nepal, zones of Nepal until the restructure of zones to Provinces of Nepal, provinces ...
that were affected by flooding from 23 July include Sunsari and Morang.


Province No. 1

The Jhapa District in the
Province No. 1 Province No. 1 (proposed names: Kirat Autonomous State, Kirat, Limbuwan, Khambuwan Rashtriya Morcha, Nepal, Khambuwan, Mount Everest, Sagarmatha, Virata, Birat and Koshi River, Koshi) is the easternmost of the seven Provinces of Nepal, province ...
was affected by flooding from 23 July.


Sagarmatha Zone

Districts in the
Sagarmatha Zone Sagarmāthā Zone ( ne, सगरमाथा अञ्चल) or Sagarmatha Anclal ( ne, सगरमाथा अञ्चल) was one of the fourteen zones of Nepal until the restructuring of zones into provinces. The headquarters of Sagarmat ...
that were affected by flooding from 23 July include Udayapur, Okhaldhunga, Saptari, Solukhumbu and Siraha.


Far West Region


Mahakali Zone

Districts in the
Mahakali Zone Mahakali ( ne, महाकाली अञ्चल) was one of the fourteen zones located in the Far-Western Development Region of Nepal, covering an area of 6,205 km2 in the most western part of the country. It stretches along Nepal's f ...
that were affected by flooding from 23 July include Baitadi and Darchula.


Seti Zone

Districts in the
Seti Zone Seti ( ne, सेती अञ्चल) was one of the fourteen zones located in the Far-Western Development Region of Nepal. Dhangadhi in the Terai is the major city of Seti Zone; headquarters are in Dipayal-Silgadhi. As of 2015, Nepal discon ...
that were affected by flooding from 23 July include Kailali, Bajhang and Bajura.


Mid West Region


Bheri Zone

Districts in the
Bheri Zone Bheri Zone ( ne, भेरी अञ्चल) was one of the fourteen zones located in the Mid-Western Development Region of Nepal. Nepalgunj were the administrative headquarters. Cities and towns were Narayan, Jajarkot and Chhinchu in the "hi ...
that were affected by flooding from 23 July include Banke, Bardiya and Surkhet.


Rapti Zone

The Dang district in the
Rapti Zone Rapti Zone ( ne, राप्ती अञ्चल ) was one of the fourteen zones, located in the Mid-Western Development Region of Nepal. It was named after the West Rapti River which drains Rolpa, Pyuthan and part of Dang districts. The r ...
was affected by flooding from 23 July.


West Region


Dhawalagiri Zone

The Baglung District in the
Dhawalagiri Zone Dhaulagiri ( ne, धौलागिरी अञ्चल ) was one of the fourteen zones which Nepal was divided into for administrative purposes, prior to the September 10, 2015 adoption of a new Constitution, which divided the nation instead i ...
was affected by flooding from 23 July.


Lumbini Zone

Districts in the
Lumbini Zone Lumbini ( ne, लुम्बिनी अञ्चल) was one of the fourteen zones of Nepal until the restructure of zones to provinces. It is home to the Lumbini site, the birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama, who later became the historical Budd ...
that were affected by flooding from 23 July include Nawalparasi and Gulmi.


Areas affected in Pakistan

By 11 August, 28 people had died in rain-related accidents in
Sindh Sindh (; ; ur, , ; historically romanized as Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the second-largest province ...
. By 12 August, flood waters were sweeping through villages in southern Pakistan. The Kohistan district of
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ps, خېبر پښتونخوا; Urdu, Hindko: خیبر پختونخوا) commonly abbreviated as KP or KPK, is one of the Administrative units of Pakistan, four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, ...
was affected by flooding on 12 August. Areas in coastal
Balochistan Balochistan ( ; bal, بلۏچستان; also romanised as Baluchistan and Baluchestan) is a historical region in Western and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. ...
were destroyed, including the village of Solband, which was levelled.


See also

Kangsabati Project


International response

By 15 August, non-governmental organisations, many with contributions from governments, that were contributing aid included Malteser International, Deutsche Welthungerhilfe, Direct Relief International, World Concern, Islamic Relief, Church World Service, International Save the Children Alliance, Lutheran World Relief, Medical Teams International, Care International, Catholic Relief Services, British Red Cross Society, World Vision, Diakonie Emergency Aid, David McAntony Gibson Foundation, Caritas Internationalis, Action by Churches Together (ACT), Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), Baptist World Aid (BWAid), Mercy Corps, and many others.


References


External links


Dartmouth Flood Observatory 2007 Global Register of Major Flood Events

British Red Cross-Asia Floods Appeal
Give to the Asia Floods Appeal {{DEFAULTSORT:2007 South Asian Floods South Asian floods South Asian floods Health in Nepal Health in Bangladesh South Asian floods South Asian floods South Asian floods South Asian floods Floods in Bangladesh Floods in Bhutan Floods in India Floods in Nepal Floods in Pakistan 2007 disasters in India