Have you ever wondered why there are sudden floodings in the northern states of the country? This year’s monsoon has changed the whole rainfall pattern of northern India, with the southwest monsoon winds covering the entire country against its normal date. According to IMD, the contraction of the western disturbances and monsoon trough has brought heavy downpour in the northern states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana. But, flooding in the north is not a new phenomenon. States like Bihar and Assam witness this flood every year. Bihar which has eight major perennial rivers along with more than 600 seasonal rivers which flow through the state, causing flood situations. When there is excess rainfall, these rivers get filled up, causing floods.However, during years when there is lesser rainfall in Bihar and ample rain in Nepal, then water from Nepal causes havoc in Bihar.The situation in Assam is no different, as it is prone to flood because of its vast network of rivers. The Bhahmaputra and Barak river with more than 50 tributaries causes flood havoc in Assam. According to a research Assam has 423 embankments, out of which 295 are believed to have outlived their intended lifespan. And floods caused by embankment breaches are more severe than the regular flooding of rivers. According to research by IIT Roorkee, the states in the Himalayan region are subject to flood because of its harsh climatic conditions and causes such as construction activities, deforestation, and tourism which have aggravated the extreme flood conditions.Is Climate Change one of the reasons for floods? According to the report by Niti Aayog, frequent and unexpected flooding is one of the worst outcomes of climate change. Climate change is causing water level rise due to melting of glaciers and it is increasing the frequency of short duration heavy rainfall leading to higher water run-of. Climate change has changed the distribution and the timing of precipitation,provoking the incidences of floods in landlocked regions of North India.
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