Damages due to floods have increased in the last two decades with increased instances of floods. Data indicates that between 1953 and 2021, approximately 1.15 lakh people in India lost their lives due to flood-related incidents. In 2021, the area affected by floods reached a record high of 16.8 million hectares, the second largest in a single year, after the peak of 17.5 million hectares in 1978. The average annual economic impact due to floods was Rs. 25,805 Crore between 2011 and 2021.
The recent floods in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have caused severe devastation, affecting vast areas and displacing scores of people. Floods are one of India’s most frequent and devastating natural disasters, affecting millions each year. With over 40 out of 330 million hectares of land classified as flood-prone, the country faces recurrent losses of life, livelihoods, and infrastructure. As urbanization expands and climate patterns shift, India’s flood management challenges continue to escalate, demanding more robust interventions.
In today’s story, we look at the trend in flood-related damages in India over the years. This story is an updated version of the earlier story
An average of 1671 lives are lost each year due to flood-related fatalities in India
Floods claim countless lives annually across both developed and developing nations, highlighting the global nature of flood-related fatalities, regardless of a country’s location, climate, or development status. Between 1953 and 2021, approximately 1.15 lakh people in India lost their lives due to flood-related incidents. The year 1977 saw the highest ever fatalities, with 11,316 deaths. The decadal average of flood-related deaths rose significantly, from 440 per year between 1953-60 to 2,560 during 1971-80. However, the subsequent decades witnessed a gradual decline, with 1981-90, 1991-2000, 2001-10, and 2011-21 recording average fatalities of 1,965, 1,892, 1,867, and 1,775 deaths annually, respectively.
Download Dataful Dataset on Year and State-wise Damages/Losses incurred due to Floods and Heavy Rains
On average, 1,671 lives are lost to floods each year. In recent times, post-2000, the year 2021 recorded the second-lowest flood fatalities with 1,371 deaths, more than the lowest of 933 deaths in 2012.
At the state-level, five states recorded more than ten thousand fatalities since 1953, with Uttar Pradesh topping with approximately 18925, followed by Andhra Pradesh at 16985, Bihar at 11495, West Bengal at 11198, and Gujarat at 10042 deaths.
2021 records second- highest flood-affected area in India Since 1953
Annual flood damage data has been recorded since 1953. The largest area affected by floods in any given year, where protection measures were inadequate, is used to estimate the flood-prone area for that state. The Rashtriya Barh Ayog (RBA), also known as the National Commission on Floods, has estimated that, from 1953 to 1978, approximately 40 million hectares are susceptible to flooding across the country. Of this, around 80%, or 32 million hectares, could be safeguarded to a reasonable extent. This flood-prone area represents about one-eighth of India’s total land area. In recent years, even regions previously considered flood-free have experienced significant flooding.
Since 1953, around 510 million hectares have been affected by floods in India. On a decadal average, the flood-affected areas per year were 6.6 million hectares from 1953-1960, 5.6 million in 1961-70, 9.8 million in 1971-80, 9.4 million in 1981-90, 6.7 million in 1991-2000, 5.5 million in 2001-10, and 7.7 million in 2011-21.
On average, 7.4 million hectares are impacted annually. In 2021, the area affected by floods reached a record high of 16.8 million hectares, the second largest in a single year, after the peak of 17.5 million hectares in 1978.
2021 Records Second-highest Flood-Related Monetary Loss Since 1953, Totalling approximately ₹50,000 Crore.
Floods have severe economic consequences. They could destroy houses, crops, livestock, and any other property. As a result, the aftermath of floods is characterized by monetary losses. The data from 1953 and till 2021 show that the approximate cost of floods is Rs.4.86 Lakh Crores. Out of these, more than 53% is the damage to public utilities by floods, followed by 32% damage to crops and 13% damage to houses.
On a decadal average, the economic impact of floods has been consistently raising. The damage due to floods per year were Rs. 60 Crores from 1953-1960, Rs. 138 Crore in 1961-70, Rs. 740 Crore in 1971-80, Rs. 2636 Crore in 1981-90, Rs. 4079 Crore in 1991-2000, Rs. 12,650 Crore in 2001-10, and Rs. 25,805 Crore in 2011-21. On an average, monetary impact of floods annually comes around to Rs. 7055 Crore. It must be noted that these figures are not adjusted for inflation.
In 2021 alone, the total damage is approximately Rs. 49,617 Crore, only behind the highest ever damage recorded, Rs. 57,291 Crore in a single year.
Five states account for approximately 58% of economic damages due to floods
The State-level analysis of the economic impact of floods show that, five states- West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttarakhand and Tamil Nadu together account for almost 58% of the total economic damage due to floods between 1953 and 2021. West Bengal tops with Rs. 79,086 Crore, followed by Andhra Pradesh at Rs. 71,360 Crore, Karnataka at Rs. 5,3640 Crore, Uttarakhand at Rs. 40330 Crore and Tamil Nadu at Rs. 37866 Crore respectively.
In West Bengal, majority of the economic impact could be seen in damage to crops followed by houses and public utilities. However, in Andhra Pradesh, almost 70% of the economic impact could be seen in damage to public utilities. This is similar to Uttarakhand and Tamil Nadu, where approximately 90% of the total economic impact is due to the damage to public utilities. Only in Karnataka among the top 5, the economic impact can be seen almost uniformly across crops, houses and public utilities.
