2020 Vidarbha Floods
The Vidarbha region of Maharashtra within India
DateAugust 2020 – September 2020
CauseHeavy rainfall

The 2020 Vidarbha Floods were a series of flooding events that occurred in the Vidarbha region of Indian State of Maharashtra in 2020. The floods affected the districts of Nagpur, Bhandara, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli and Gondia. Over 92,000 people were affected in the region.[1]

Cause

The flooding was cased due to excess rainfall at the catchment area of the rivers of Wainganga basin, in the neighbouring state of Madhya Pradesh, forced authorities to open the gates of Chaurai dam in Chhindwara district.[2] On August 28 Central Water commission had released a flood warning. for the region [3] On August 28 and 29, the rivers Pench, Kanhan, Bagh and Wainganga and their numerous tributaries were in their full fury. So were the dams Sanjay Sagar and Gosekhurd (on river Wainganga), Chaurai (on Machchagora), Totladoh-Pench (on Pench), Rajeev Sagar (on Bawanthadi), the Upper Wardha dam (on Wardha) and three reservoirs on river Bagh.[4]

Aftermath

Over 53,000 people were evacuated by eleven rescue and relief teams including the National Disaster response force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the Indian Army.[5] 88,864 hectares of farmland in 34 talukas of Nagpur division were affected due to floods, while 23,000 houses have also been damaged.[6]

References

  1. ^ Arya, Shishir (August 31, 2020). "Floods hit 55,000 in Vidarbha, Wainganga breaches banks". The Times of India. Retrieved 2021-08-10.
  2. ^ "Heavy rain, flood situation: NDRF teams, columns of Army deployed in Vidarbha region". The Indian Express. 2020-08-31. Retrieved 2021-08-10.
  3. ^ "To dam or not to dam? Floods in eastern Vidarbha raise the perennial debate". Mongabay-India. 2020-09-18. Retrieved 2021-08-10.
  4. ^ Khandekar, Nivedita. "The floods in Eastern Vidarbha raise an old question: Did dams worsen or lessen the calamity?". Scroll.in. Retrieved 2021-08-10.
  5. ^ "Maharashtra: Over 53,000 evacuated from rain, flood-hit Vidarbha region". India Today. September 1, 2020. Retrieved 2021-08-10.
  6. ^ "6-member central team visits flood-affected villages of east Vidarbha". Business Standard India. Press Trust of India. 2020-09-11. Retrieved 2021-08-10.
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