Massive rescue efforts underway after floods in Mumbai and Maharashtra, India - Just over a meter (42 inches) of rain in 48 hours - At least 192 dead (UPDATES)

Floodlist
Fri, 23 Jul 2021 09:31 UTC

© NDRF

Flood rescue Ratnagiri Maharashtra, July 2021.

Massive rescue efforts are underway after heavy monsoon rainfall continues to wreak havoc in Mumbai and surrounding areas of the state of Maharashtra in India. Some areas in Maharashtra recorded more than 1,000 mm of rain in 48 hours.

In Mumbai, heavy rain caused a building to collapse in the Govandi area early on 23 July 2021. Rescue operations are ongoing but media reports suggest 7 people have died and 3 injured. Just last week at least 20 people died in similar circumstances after several homes were destroyed in the Mumbai suburbs of Chembur and Vikhroli as a result of the heavy rain and landslides on 18 July.

Wider areas of Maharashtra state have been severely affected, resulting in massive rescue operations across several districts. Hundreds of people have been rescued so far, with many more still in need of help.

India's National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed teams to the districts of Ratnagiri, Kolhapur, Raigad, Nizamabad, Satara, Sangli, Thane and Palghar. Units of the Coast Guard, Indian Navy and the Indian Army have joined the rescue and relief efforts in several areas, notably in Ratnagiri and Raigad districts.

The Indian Air Force has also undertaken rescue efforts using helicopters in Chiplun in Ratnagiri, where flood waters are so high residents have taken refuge on the roofs of houses.

The heavy rain has triggered several landslides in Mahad in Raigad district. During the evening of 22 July a landslide damaged 32 houses in Taliye Village in Mahad. Media report at least 5 people have lost their lives while many more are still missing. Rescue operations are underway.

Nearly 6,000 passengers were stranded as train services on the Konkan Railway route in Maharashtra's Ratnagiri district were suspended on 22 July.

Roads have been closed across the region, including major roads such as the Pune-Bangalore NH-4 and the Mumbai-Goa highway.

Rain and Rivers

The state has seen heavy monsoon rain since the start of the month. From 01 July to 22 July, Ratnagiri recorded 1,781 mm of rain, which is the highest for 40 years and above the July monthly average of 972.5 mm.

Rainfall intensified in the region from 21 July. Reports from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) show areas of Satara District received 1,074.8 mm of rain in 48 hours to 23 July (480.4 mm to 22 July and 594.4 mm to 23 July).

India's Central Water Commission report that 3 rivers in the state are flowing above "Extreme Flood Situation" (highest warning level) as of 23 July, including the Wardha river in Chandrapur district; the Gad river in Sindudurg district; and the Bav river at in Ratnagiri district.

Comment: Update: CNN reports on July 24:

At least 136 people have died in the west Indian state of Maharashtra, authorities said Saturday, after torrential monsoon rains caused landslides and flooded low-lying areas, cutting off hundreds of villages.

At least 38 people were killed in Taliye, 180 kilometers (110 miles) southeast of the financial capital Mumbai, when a landslide flattened most of the small village, state government officials said. The death toll also includes 27 reported deaths from Satara district in the last 48 hours, a representative from the state's Disaster Management, Relief & Rehabilitation department told CNN.

More than 10 people are feared trapped after a landslide occurred in Ratnagiri district on Friday, he said.

As of Saturday morning, over 90,000 people have been evacuated from affected areas to safety as heavy showers continued to wreak havoc, he said.

National Disaster Response Force personnel rescue people stranded in floodwaters in Kolhapur, in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, on Friday.

The National Disaster Response Force, the Indian Army, Coast Guards, Navy, Air Force and state authorities have all been deployed as part of the rescue effort. The representative added that major damages have been reported in all three coastal districts of Raigad, Satara, and Ratnagiri.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday issued a red alert for six districts of Maharashtra, forecasting "extremely heavy" rainfall and recommending preventive actions. The official said that districts Kolhapur and Sangli are still on alert, Reuters reported.

Parts of India's west coast received up to 594 millimeters (23 inches) of rainfall over 24 hours, forcing authorities to evacuate people from vulnerable areas as they released water from dams that were threatening to overflow.

"Unexpected very heavy rainfall triggered landslides in many places and flooded rivers," Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who heads Maharashtra's state government, told journalists.

"Dams and rivers are overflowing. We are forced to release water from dams, and, accordingly, we are moving people residing near the river banks to safer places," he said.

In nine other landslides in other parts of Maharashtra, 59 people died and another 15 were killed in accidents linked to the heavy rainfall, state government officials said.

Thousands of trucks were stuck on a national highway linking Mumbai with the southern technology hub of Bengaluru, with the road submerged in some places, another Maharashtra government official said.

Meanwhile, hundreds of villages and towns were without electricity and drinking water, he said.

Rivers were also overflowing in the neighboring southern states of Karnataka and Telangana where authorities were monitoring the situation, government officials there said.

Seasonal monsoon rains from June to September cause deaths and mass displacement across South Asia every year, but they also deliver more than 70% of India's rainfall and are crucial for farmers.

Update2: Floodlist reports on July 27:

Disaster authorities in India report that 192 people have now died in floods and landslides in the western state of Maharashtra since record heavy rainfall from 22 July 2021.

The heavy rain brought floods and landslides affected 1028 villages across the districts of Ratnagiri, Raigad, Kolhapur, Thane, Sangli, Satara, Sindhudurg, Pune, Wardha and suburban areas of Mumbai. Over 40 roads were submerged and a bridge on the Vashishti river at Chiplun was severely damaged.

At one point at total of 375,178 people were displaced from their homes, most recently in low-lying areas of Kolhapur District along the Panchganga River which overflowed after heavy rain and releases from the Koyna dam.

India's National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)and military have carried out massive search and rescue (SAR) efforts over the past week. NDRF teams alone rescued 3,804 people from flood waters.

The biggest SAR operations were at landslide sites in Raigad District, where 30 houses were buried and 95 people bodies were recovered, and in Ratnagiri District where 21 bodies have been recovered. Fatalities were also reported in Satara and Kolhapur Districts. Authorities say at least 25 people are still missing. However, almost a week after disaster struck, search and rescue operations have been called off in many areas.