Kerala Flood 2018|2018 Flood in Kerala - All-About-Information-24

Kerala Flood 2018|2018 Flood in Kerala - All-About-Information-24

Kerala Flood 2018

In July 2018, severe flooding affected Kerala state in India due to unusually high rainfall during the monsoon season. Kerala's worst floods in nearly a century,over 350 people died within a month, while at least 661,000 were displaced and all 14 districts of the state, were placed on high alert.

Thirty-five out of the forty-two dams within the state were opened for the first time in history and all five gates of the Idukki Dam were opened at the same time after a gap of 26 years. Heavy rains in Wayanad has left the hilly district isolated.

District	Rainfall(mm)	Normal(mm)	%
Alappuzha	1648.1	1309.5	29%
Ernakulam	2305.9	1606.0	48%
Idukki	3211.1	1749.1	89%
Kannur	2450.9	2234.9	10%
Kasaragod	2549.9	2489.1	12%
Kollam	1427.3	985.4	51%
Kottayam	2137.6	1452.6	50%
Kozhikode	2796.4	2156.5	30%
Malappuram	2529.8	1687.3	52%
Palakkad	2135.0	1254.2	75%
Pathanamthitta	1762.7	1287.5	44%
Thiruvananthapuram	920.8	643.0	45%
Thrissur	1894.5	1738.2	16%
Wayanad	2676.8	2167.2	26%
Kerala	1620.0	1620.0	41%

Kerla Flood 2018 - Causes

Kerala received heavy monsoon rainfall on the mid evening of August 8 resulting in dams filling to capacity; in the first 24 hours of rainfall the state received 310 mm (12 in) of rain.Almost all dams have been opened since the water level has risen due to heavy rainfall, flooding local low-lying areas. For the first time in the state's history, 35 of its 42 dams have been opened.

Most of the regions affected by this monsoon were classified as ecologically-

sensitive zones (ESZs) by the the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel, the Gadgil Committee. Most of the recommendations and directions by the commitee was either neglected or rejected. Chairman of the committee Madhav Gadgil accused the state government and its irresponsible environmental policy for the recent landslides and floods. He called it a "man-made calamity".

Kerla Flood 2018

Imapact

A state official told AFP that 167 people have died, while the The Economic Times in India reported 114 have been killed. The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority has placed the state in a red alert as a result of the intense flooding. A number of water treatment plants were forced to cease pumping water, resulting in poor access to clean water, especially in northern districts of the region. At least 350 relief camps have been opened at various locations to accommodate the flood victims. A 24/7 control room has started functioning at Aluva, co-ordinating the activities of Kerala Water Authority. The flooding has affected hundreds of villages, destroyed an estimated 10,000 km of roads and thousands of homes have been damaged or destroyed. On 12 August, when 30,000 people were already staying in relief camps, 13,000 of them were in the district of Wayanad, the worst to be hit.

Over 2000 people were stranded at St Joseph Church in Poovathussery, Ernakulam with the water level rising for 3-4 days, leaving the people in the church with no water and food

Industry

On August 15, Cochin International Airport, India's fourth busiest in terms of international traffic, and the busiest in the state, suspended all operations until 26 August, following runway flooding. Many schools throughout the state have been closed, and tourists have been dissuaded or banned from some districts due to safety concerns. The Kochi Metro closed briefly on August 16, and has since begun offering free service to aid those affected by the flooding. Due to heavy rain and rising water levels the southern railway has suspended train services on Thiruvananthapuram-Kottayam-Ernakulam and Ernakulam-Shoranur-Palakkad sections.

Over 80% of the state has been cut off from power supply.An orange weather alert has been issued in 11 of the 14 districts of the state

Religious

Trekking in the Hindu pilgrimage centre of Sabrimala has been stopped due to the overflow of the nearby Pamba River. The Government has cancelled Onam celebrations, whose allocated funds have been reallocated to relief efforts

Rescue

There have been 52 rescue teams of central forces including units of the Indian Army and the Indian Navy assisting the civilian administration in rescue work and restoration. In addition to the 10 teams of the National Disaster Response Force, four additional teams were airlifted from Guntur and Arakkonam to assist the Ernakulam district administration. The Centre reached out to Kerala, offering a helping hand to tackle the situation. Union Minister for Home Affairs Rajnath Singh conducted an aerial survey of Idukki and Ernakulam districts along with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Idukki district remained on alert following number of landslips in the hilly terrain. Several landslips have been reported in Wayanad and Malappuram districts. Tourism and the movement of heavy vehicles are prohibited in the district. Mananthavady and Vythiri in the hilly Wayanad district have been totally cut-off, with roads washed away.

According to the latest official figures, more than 200,000 people have been lodged in over 1,500 relief camps across 14 districts.On August 19, the state's Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan vowed "to save even the last person stranded.

Response

At a press conference on 11 August, Chief Secretary Tom Jose said “Things are well under control. The government is on top of the situation”. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, conducts an aerial survey and offered federal support to Kerala, and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan described the flooding as "something that has never happened before in the history of Kerala" and placed some of the blame on neighbouring Tamil Nadu for not releasing excess water from the Tamil Nadu operated Mullaperiyar dam, which worsened the situation.

Local politician Saji Cherian begged for help on a television program on August 17, stating "Please give us a helicopter. I am begging you. Please help me, people in my place will die. Please help us. There is no other solution, people have to be airlifted.