BackNearly 50 killed in Kerala floods, 1.47 lakh moved to relief camps
The south west monsoon has wreaked havoc in most parts central and south Kerala, including Kottayam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Idukki and Pathanamthitta
Premium
Ernakulam: Last Wednesday, Lizy Thomas had barely woken up when the floodwaters swept through the backdoor, ripping apart the walls, as the roof collapsed. Lizy, who lived on the banks of Meenachil river in Alappuzha district, is one among the 1.47 lakh people in Kerala who were moved to relief camps following the week-long heavy monsoon showers.
Nearly 50 people have been killed so far in the floods, show official estimates. The latest casualty was a reporter with a local television channel, who was chasing stories highlighting the plight of the flood-affected, but died when his boat capsized on Monday.
The south west monsoon has wreaked havoc in most parts central and south Kerala, including Kottayam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Idukki and Pathanamthitta. Despite a show of defiance by the residents, who travelled on boats along flooded roads and held parties in chest-deep water, they are barely making ends meet with limited stock of food and potent water at the relief camps, which have been housed in schools and places of worship.
In Alappuzha’s Kuttanad region alone, paddy worth crores was destroyed. “Almost all farmers have suffered crop damage one way or the other," said Sebastian from Muttar in Kuttanad.
The damage to crops and human lives, however, raises a question. Kerala with 44 rivers had witnessed the worst floods in 1924 following very heavy downpours. But despite far less rainfall this time, it was enough to cause massive floods and landslides, sweeping away roads, estates, houses, and even a portion of a local church carved out of a hill. But why so?
“In 1924 rains, 80% Kerala’s mid and low land was under water. In much lesser rains this year, 950 villages, almost 90% are affected with some damage, not just flooding. Our net hazards may have stayed lower than 1924, but our risk factor, the vulnerability, has increased significantly," said a scientist and a key official, who is part of Kerala’s disaster management team, requesting anonymity.
The problem this time, he said, was not gushing flood waters wreaking havoc, but the water stagnating for longer periods of time and showing no signs of receding. “Water should have flown out easily, but is getting stagnated. It implies that the devastation is a direct consequence of the infrastructure boom Kerala has seen over the years."
Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!
