The area was plagued by severe heat in the spring, and unprecedented monsoon rain began as early as May. According to experts, climate change has made the monsoon season more unstable.
Unprecedented rains and floods have wreaked havoc in India and Bangladesh. Entire villages have been submerged and the crop destroyed.
According to authorities, some 4.7 million people have been forced to flee their homes in the Assam region of India alone.
At least 69 people have died in the last two weeks in floods and landslides caused by them. According to Reuters, more than 9.5 million people need food aid because of the flood damage.
– The streets were completely submerged in a few hours, he tells the BBC.
Chowdhary lives in the remote village of Udiana in northeastern India. He has been left surrounded by floodwaters in his home.
– There is water everywhere, but nothing to drink. There is also a shortage of food, and I have heard that the water level is rising more. How are we?
– People are without food. They can’t even drink water because the floodwaters flooded all the wells, says a resident of the Sunamganj area Abu Bakar news agency Reuters by phone.
Extreme weather has become more common
The monsoon will bring heavy rains to South Asia between June and October. Rainfall is a lifeline for farmers in the region, but floods are common, especially in the lowlands of Bangladesh.
Extreme weather has become more common in South Asia. This year, the rains started as early as March.
The early monsoon was preceded by a record heat that plagued large areas of India and Bangladesh. For example, in the Indian capital Delhi, a heat wave raised the temperature up to close to 50 degrees.
Due to heat waves, mountainous areas in northern Pakistan have also been advised to prepare for flooding due to the rapid melting of glaciers. According to the country’s Ministry of Climate Change, the melting has created hundreds of glacial lakes in the mountains, about 30 of which are expected to pose a significant flood risk.
According to experts, climate change has made the monsoon season more unstable. Much of the rainfall rains on the ground in less time than before.
Environmentalists warn that climate change could lead to more serious disasters.
Army alerted for help
According to UNICEF, floods have also taken over health stations and water-borne diseases are beginning to spread.
Unicef has said it will raise $ 2.5 million for an emergency in Bangladesh to buy water purification tablets, medical supplies and water tanks, among other things.
– Four million people have fled the floods in north-east Bangladesh, 1.6 million of whom are children. They need immediate help, Unicef said in a statement.
Both Bangladesh and India have alerted the military to rescue operations.