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NEW DELHI – Unseasonably heavy rains have destroyed crops, destroyed bridges and killed dozens in India and Nepal, a reminder of the devastation caused by the changing climate.
The death toll continued to rise on Wednesday as landslides and flooding damaged homes and thousands of tourists flocked to resorts and pilgrimage sites during Hinduism’s festive season, which coincides with the autumn harvest.
“Historically, October is the beginning of the post-monsoon,” said RK Jeamani, a senior scientist with India’s meteorology department. “But what happened this time was that disturbances in the west were very, very intense.”
Cyclonic conditions in the Bay of Bengal off the east coast of India sent strong winds and precipitation across the subcontinent, reaching the Himalayas in Nepal and spreading to the coastal valleys of India’s southwestern peninsula.
In the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, days-long heavy rains at one location, the most since 1897, have killed at least 46 people and left hundreds stranded at hillside resorts where flooded lakes sink into roads.
South Asia’s monsoons have always come in rage. But experts say the scenes of death and destruction in the region are another reminder of the urgency of climate change. A warming climate will mean more frequent heavy rainfall in many parts of the world. scientists said.
India and its neighbors are struggling to implement development projects that aim to lift millions of people out of poverty with the risks of a changing climate.
Highways and bridges were built in remote areas that were increasingly subject to landslides and flooding. And countries, especially India, rely heavily on coal to fuel growth, something that will likely be covered at the United Nations’ COP26. climate conference In Glasgow this month.
Governments in South Asia are expected to push for financial aid to help rich countries switch from fossil fuels to cleaner energy sources.
This transition – if it happens – could take years, halting not only international commitments to reduce global carbon emissions, but also projects to mitigate the effects of a less predictable and more dangerous climate.
Meteorologists did not expect the disastrous rains that have flooded India and Nepal in recent days.
About 100 people were evacuated from a Lemon Tree resort in Nainital, a former British colonial hill station in Uttarakhand. Hotel management staff continued to care for older adults after rescuers determined that evacuation might be too risky for them due to the sharp bends and steep descents in the area’s narrow mountain road.
“The water is now receding, but the vehicles are still stranded,” said company spokesperson Akriti Arora.
Uttarakhand officials feared the death toll could rise further as receding waters expose people trapped under the rubble.
Heavy rains, which also affected the south of India, caused flash floods and landslides in the state of Kerala.
A couple sailed away on the flooded streets of their village in an aluminum pot to go to their wedding.
Neethu V. Thomas, a hazard analyst at Kerala’s disaster management agency, said more than 40 people drowned or died in recent landslides and floods in Kerala.
“All forces are on the field,” he said.
Still, another heavy rain forecast in the coming days complicated a full assessment. “It’s hard to get all the details,” he said.
This week, officials in Kerala opened the overflowing dams, the first time government officials have made such a move since. catastrophic flood It killed more than 400 people in 2018.
India has deployed navy and air force personnel to aid rescue efforts and force people living downstream of the dam to evacuate.
Landslides and flooding have also occurred in Nepal this week, killing at least 50 people in remote villages that have been flooded. Hundreds of homes were swept in mountainous areas. Highways were closed and a regional airport whose asphalt was inundated was forced to cancel flights.
There, too, the cloud bursts baffled scientists who predicted the Himalayan nation’s period of heavy rainfall ended more than a week ago.
Rice ready for harvest has been damaged by the rain, leading farmers in Nepal to despair and fear of a food crisis in one of the world’s poorest countries.
“October rainfall has also been reported in the past, but not at this intensity,” said Ajaya Dixit, an expert on climate change vulnerability in Nepal. “Climate change is real and happening.”
Hari Kumar Contributed to reporting from New Delhi and Bhadra Sharma From Kathmandu, Nepal.
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