The Stream, August 1: Landslide Deathtoll Reaches 51 in India After Heavy Rains

Floods
Heavy rains triggered floods and landslides in India’s Maharashtra state this week, burying towns and trapping at least 100 people, CNN reported. A death toll of 51 has been confirmed, but rescuers are still hoping to find survivors in the debris.

Floods in southwest Romania raised water levels in some rivers to levels seen once every 200 years and forced hundreds of people to evacuate their homes, according to environment authorities in the country, AlertNet reported. The Romania floods follow a spate of heavy rainstorms and flooding in the Balkans region this year, and more rains are forecast.

Mining
Peru is approving the environmental permit for the $US 1.4 billion Tia Maria copper mine after the mine’s developers submitted an amended environmental impact study for the project, Reuters reported. Local agricultural communities have opposed the mine due to concerns about its effect on water supplies.

Drought
A drought in Puerto Rico has caused crop losses worth $US 20 million and could soon trigger water rationing in the territory’s capital, the Associated Press reported. Government officials are waiting to see if adequate rain falls during a series of approaching storms before initiating the rationing.

Sri Lanka has approved $US 10 million for a relief program that will provide income for drought-hit families, AlertNet reported. The government estimated that more than 100,000 families lack enough water for their daily needs, and the country’s economically important agricultural sector faces steep losses this year.

The Stream is a daily digest spotting global water trends. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.

Codi Kozacek

A news correspondent for Circle of Blue based out of Hawaii. She writes The Stream, Circle of Blue’s daily digest of international water news trends. Her interests include food security, ecology and the Great Lakes.
Contact Codi Kozacek