Data | Deluge in Bengaluru: Flood woes are a recent phenomenon in Karnataka

Karnataka’s share in India’s flood-related deaths surged to 7-8% in the last two decades

Heavy rainfall during the last week of August and first week of September brought Bengaluru to a standstill. Flooding of offices and houses, traffic bottlenecks and power outages were recorded across the Silicon Valley of India. On August 27, the Bengaluru-Mysuru Highway was inundated with flood water after the Inorapalya lake breached the banks. Three days later, the outer ring road was flooded as water from Savalakere lake overflowed.

While the Bengaluru floods made headlines in recent days, the monsoon season has claimed many lives and damaged several public and private properties across the State this year. As many as 96 lives were lost since June, crops in 5.8 lakh hectares of land were lost, 1,471 bridges and 2,223 km of roads were damaged. In total, the estimated losses amounted to ₹7,647 crore.

In the last two decades, the number of lives lost to floods have sharply increased in the State. In the last decade (2011-20) and the one before (2001-10), Karnataka’s share in India’s flood-related deaths ranged between 7-8%. In the 2000s, the State had the fourth highest share of flood-related deaths among major States. In the last decade, it had the seventh-highest share.  

In contrast, in the decades before 2000s, Karnataka’s share was negligible. The State’s share in India’s flood-related deaths ranged between 0-3% in all the previous decades. Table 1lists a State’s share in India’s total deaths due to flood in each decade. For instance, Gujarat formed 10% of the total fatalities in the 2001-10 period, and 8% in the last decade (2011-20).

Across all decades, Uttar Pradesh’s share has consistently been 17% or above. West Bengal, Gujarat and Bihar also accounted for a high share in India’s flood-related fatalities in most decades.

The above trends have to be read with caution, given the wide variation in States’ population. Also the numbers were for undivided Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar.

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