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2023 North India floods

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2023 North India floods

Satellite image of North India on 10 July, showing various systems causing flooding
Cause Heavy rain
Discharges
Landslide
Meteorological history
Duration 3 July 2023 – present
(2 weeks and 3 days)
Flood
Maximum rainfall 153 cm (60.24 in)
Overall effects
Fatalities ≥100
Injuries ≥100
Areas affected Himachal Pradesh
Uttarakhand
Punjab
Chandigarh
Haryana
Uttar Pradesh
Rajasthan
Jammu and Kashmir
Delhi
Heavy rainfall during the 2023 monsoon season resulted in severe flooding and
landslides across Northern India, primarily affecting residents in Himachal
Pradesh, Punjab, Chandigarh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Rajasthan and
Delhi.[1][2][3]

A monsoon surge, coupled with a western disturbance has led to the highest rainfall
in decades in some parts of the region, causing nearby rivers to overflow, with
flooding and landslides washing away vehicles, destroying bridges and roads, and
disrupting power and electricity.[2]

Over 100 individuals across Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi, have died
over a two-week period of intense rain and flooding, with thousands of others
evacuated to relief camps.[4][5] The floods have led to closure of schools,
disruption of flights and train operations in various parts of North India.[1][6]
[7]

Background
The South Asian monsoon season, which spans from June to September, typically
brings about 80% of annual rainfall to the region.[8]

In recent years, India has witnessed intensified weather patterns, with the monsoon
season becoming more erratic and less dependable over time.[9] The current period
of heavy rainfall is occurring closely on the heels of an intense heatwave that
also affected much of northern India. While various factors contribute to flooding,
experts point to climate change as a significant driver of increased occurrences of
heavy rainfall.[3]

Affected areas
The states of Rajasthan, Punjab, and Haryana experienced extensive waterlogging due
to heavy rainfall.[3]

Himachal Pradesh
The state of Himachal Pradesh was the hardest hit, with at least 88 dead and more
than 100 injured as of July 13, 2023.[4] More than 1,000 roads were blocked in the
state as a result of downed power lines and other damaged infrastructure.[10][11]
Approximately 70,000 tourists were evacuated from the state, as reported by Chief
Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.[12] Rescue operations were led by teams from the
Indian army and the National Disaster Response Force. Several districts experienced
an entire month's worth of rainfall within a single day. In Manali, roads were
swept away by the deluge, leaving both tourists and their vehicles stranded.[13]

Punjab
On 9 July 2023, a high alert was issued in different districts of Punjab due to
incessant rains.[14] There were a surfeit of waterlogged roads and many cars were
submerged in water.[15][16] The situation worsened in Patiala and Dera Bassi as
fields were inundated.[14] Many roads caved in, disrupting the traffic. The rains
did not show any signs of abating as it had been profusely raining for the past
three days. On 10 July 2023, an order was passed to close all schools, which
reopened on 17 July.[17][18][19]

Delhi
The capital city of Delhi saw over 153 millimetres (6.0 in) rain on 9 July 2023,
marking the highest precipitation in a single day in July in over 40 years.[20][21]
Authorities took measures to relocate numerous individuals residing near Yamuna
riverbanks to safer areas. In addition, residents in other susceptible regions were
advised to make necessary arrangements for potential evacuations. The traffic flow
across a critical bridge spanning the river was disrupted, and schools were closed.
[3]

The Yamuna river breached its all-time high-water mark, which had stood for over 45
years.[22] The situation impacted prominent areas, including the street outside
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence and a major road towards Connaught
Place, a renowned business center. Chief Minister Kejriwal urged the federal
government to regulate the water release from the Hathnikund Barrage in Haryana,
which contributed to the swelling of the Yamuna river.[11] Flooding of the Yamuna
river also resulted in water surrounding the Red Fort.[5][8]

Sixteen thousand individuals were provided shelter in relief tents arranged by the
Delhi government. The state's governor convened with the Delhi Disaster Management
Authority to discuss the flood situation. Kejriwal mentioned that an advisory would
be issued for private offices to encourage remote work. Due to the flood-like
situation, three water treatment plants in Delhi were temporarily shut down. As a
result, water was rationed. Furthermore, heavy vehicles, with the exception of
those engaged in essential services, were prohibited from entering Delhi.[23]

Kashmir
Due to damage to a national highway, the Amarnath Yatra pilgrimage was suspended.
As a result, thousands of pilgrims were stranded in nearby areas.[3]

Rajasthan
Over 2,800 people were evacuated in anticipation of floods.[24]

See also
Floods in India
2013 North India floods
2023 South Asian floods
2023 Raigad landslide
References
"India floods: monsoon rains leave 22 dead in north as Delhi sees wettest July day
in decades". The Guardian. 10 July 2023. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original
on 10 July 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
"Why North India is facing unusually heavy rains, explained". Hindustan Times. 9
July 2023. Archived from the original on 9 July 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
"Flood warning in Delhi as rains batter north India". BBC News. 11 July 2023.
Archived from the original on 16 July 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
Sharma, Ashok; Lekhi, Rishi (13 July 2023). "Record monsoon rains have killed more
than 100 people in northern India over two weeks". AP News. Archived from the
original on 14 July 2023. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
Mehrotra, Karishma (14 July 2023). "At least 100 dead in northern India after
extreme monsoon flooding". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 15 July
2023.
"As heavy rain pounds Delhi, 20 flights cancelled, 120 delayed at airport:
Report". Hindustan Times. 11 July 2023. Archived from the original on 18 July 2023.
Retrieved 18 July 2023.
"Northern Railways cancels 17 trains, diverts 12 as heavy rain lash North India –
Details here". Financial Express. 10 July 2023. Archived from the original on 18
July 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
Yasir, Sameer; Kumar, Hari (13 July 2023). "Evacuations Ordered in Delhi: Monsoon
Flooding in Pictures". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the
original on 16 July 2023. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
Fountain, Henry; Levitt, Zach; White, Jeremy (5 October 2022). "The Monsoon Is
Becoming More Extreme". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the
original on 5 July 2023. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
"Monsoon rain grapples Himachal Pradesh as flash floods, landslide claim 91
lives". mint. 14 July 2023. Archived from the original on 16 July 2023. Retrieved
15 July 2023.
"Monsoon LIVE News: HP worst-hit as rains continue; PM take stock of situation".
mint. 9 July 2023. Archived from the original on 9 July 2023. Retrieved 10 July
2023.
"Himachal Pradesh suffered losses of about ₹8,000 crore due to rain: CM Sukhvinder
Singh Sukhu". The Hindu. 15 July 2023. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original
on 16 July 2023. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
"Large chunks of highway destroyed in India floods". BBC News. Archived from the
original on 16 July 2023. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
Khanna, Ruchika M. (9 July 2023). "Rain fury: Ghaggar, Sutlej rivers in spate in
Punjab; flood threat looms over Dera Bassi, Patiala, Sangrur, Ropar". The Tribune.
Archived from the original on 10 July 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
Vasudeva, Ravinder (11 July 2023). "Nearly 150 rural roads, 10 bridges damaged in
floods across Punjab, says PWD". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 14
July 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
Vasdev, Kanchan (13 July 2023). "What's behind the flooding in Punjab and what are
the possible solutions?". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 14 July
2023. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
"Punjab extends schools closure till July 16, to reopen on July 17". www.msn.com.
The Indian Express. 13 July 2023. Archived from the original on 19 November 2012.
Retrieved 16 July 2023.
Sharma, Sanjay (13 July 2023). "Punjab extends school closure till July 16 due to
heavy rains". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 14
July 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
"Punjab Schools Resuming Classes Today Following A Week Long Rain-Induced
Closure". News18. 17 July 2023. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
Yasir, Sameer; Kumar, Hari (10 July 2023). "Deadly Monsoon Flooding and Landslides
Lash India". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 11
July 2023. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
Subramaniam, Tara; Suri, Manveena (10 July 2023). "New Delhi records wettest July
day in decades as deadly floods hit northern India". CNN. Archived from the
original on 10 July 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
@PTI_News (13 July 2023). "VIDEO | Water from overflowing Yamuna river reaches
ITO, a key route to commute from East Delhi to Central Delhi and Connaught Place.
The Yamuna in Delhi swelled to a staggering 208.08 metres on Wednesday, smashing
the previous all-time record of 207.49 metres set 45 years ago by a significant
margin" (Tweet). Retrieved 14 July 2023 – via Twitter.
"Delhi floods: Key roads under water as Yamuna river swells". BBC News. 13 July
2023. Archived from the original on 13 July 2023. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
"Rajasthan: Over 2,800 people evacuated as Hanumangarh braces for flood". The
Times of India. 22 July 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
External links
Media related to 2023 North India floods at Wikimedia Commons
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← 2022 floods
Categories: 2023 disasters in India2023 floods in Asia2020s in Chandigarh2020s in
Delhi2020s in Haryana2020s in Himachal Pradesh2020s in Jammu and Kashmir2020s in
Punjab, India2020s in Rajasthan2020s in Uttar Pradesh2020s in UttarakhandJuly 2023
events in IndiaFloods in IndiaClimate change in India
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