Kerala rain fury claims seven lives, warnings, preparedness come under scanner

Thiruvananthapuram Aug 1 (AHN) The death toll in Kerala's rain-related disasters climbed to seven on Saturday as cloudburst like downpours triggered landslides, flash floods and widespread devastation across the central high ranges, exposing glaring lapses in weather warnings and disaster preparedness despite forecasts of extremely heavy rainfall.

With the situation remaining grim and another 24 hours of intense rainfall forecast, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan reviewed the state's disaster response with Ministers and district collectors, directing Ministers in-charge of the worst-hit districts to camp on the ground and personally coordinate relief operations.

Revenue Minister A.P. Anil Kumar is overseeing the state level coordination of rescue and relief measures.

The Chief Minister instructed Transport Minister C.P. John to camp in Thiruvananthapuram, Tourism Minister P.C. Vishnunadh in Pathanamthitta, Water Resources and Housing Minister Mons Joseph in Kottayam and the Food and Supplies Minister Anoop Jacob in Idukki.

He also spoke to MLAs from the worst affected Assembly constituencies and directed the district collectors of Idukki, Pathanamthitta and Kottayam to remain fully prepared to tackle any emergency.

In Thiruvananthapuram's Muthalapozhi, where two persons remain missing, a Coast Guard vessel is continuing search operations in the sea, assisted by the Marine Enforcement wing.

Ironically, even as the state braced for heavy rain, both warnings and preparedness failed once again.

Pathanamthitta and Idukki, which received the heaviest rainfall, remained under only an Orange Alert until Friday morning, despite recording rainfall of Red Alert intensity.

Adequate precautions were not taken even in vulnerable hill regions that have repeatedly witnessed catastrophic landslides and floods.

Laha in Pathanamthitta recorded 25 cm of rainfall, while Peermade and Thodupuzha in Idukki received 21 cm each within 24 hours well within the threshold for a Red Alert.

The IMD acknowledged the likelihood of red alert-intensity rainfall only at 11:15 p.m., while a formal red alert for Pathanamthitta, Idukki and other districts was issued only at 7 a.m. on Saturday.

By then, torrential rain had already battered the region and disaster had unfolded, making the upgraded warning largely ineffective.

Under the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) protocol, an Orange Alert signifies 'Action', requiring authorities to initiate preventive measures.

Yet, despite continuous heavy rain, evacuation and precautionary steps were not effectively carried out in vulnerable locations such as Kootickal, which has witnessed landslides in the past, and Ranni, which was submerged during the 2018 floods.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) managed to reach Kudayathoor in Thodupuzha quickly, but failed to reach the three landslide-hit locations in Kottayam in time.

Response in Pathanamthitta was also delayed.

Several independent weather monitoring agencies had, by Friday night, warned of the possibility of extremely heavy, localised rainfall over the eastern high ranges of central Kerala.

Despite having access to weather inputs beyond the IMD, the KSDMA failed to anticipate the scale of the impending disaster or initiate precautionary action.

Authorities also failed to foresee that relentless rainfall in the Pathanamthitta high ranges would swell the Pamba river, leading to downstream flooding.

The KSDMA, which is mandated to collate weather intelligence from multiple agencies, will now have to explain what preparatory measures were undertaken despite the emerging threat.

The devastating Mundakkai landslide of 2024 also occurred during an El Nino year.

The present season, too, is influenced by El Nino, a climatic pattern associated with sudden episodes of exceptionally intense rainfall.

Disaster management experts have repeatedly stressed that such year's demand vigilance that goes beyond routine weather alerts.

As Kerala mourns seven lives lost and rescue teams race against time to reach affected communities, serious questions are once again being raised over whether lessons from past disasters have truly been learnt or whether critical warnings continue to arrive only after tragedy has already struck.