The deluge in Kerala

As heavy monsoon rains batter Kerala, the state is reeling under one of the worst floods since 1924. In four days, 39 persons were feared to have died and some more were missing. The downpour was so torrential that the Idukki dam reservoir was filled to capacity and the government was, for the first time in its history, forced to open all five of its floodgates to dispel the excess water and evacuate around one lakh people of the affected area. As water spewed out of one of Asia's largest arch dams, it claimed lives, washed away standing crops and inundated houses and other infrastructure, leaving a trail of destruction. With approximately 6 lakh litres of water flowing down the Periyar River every second, the fury was expected.

But what was unexpected was the state's inability to cope with the unprecedented precipitation and the problems precipitated by it. Rains in Kerala are a routine affair, occurring almost every quarter in the year. And, it would be fair to expect the state to be better prepared to manage floods. Especially, since it prides itself for being the best governed state for the past three years on the basis of social and economic indicators. Kerala also take the pole position in providing better living conditions to children. 

But now, when it came to the crunch, it turns out that Kerala is not quite equipped to stand up to its numero uno spot. Despite the warnings and red alerts by the weather department, not enough was done. Its management of the flood situation lays the bare chinks that require some serious thought towards finding a mechanism to handle floods. Besides seeking funds for relief from the Centre, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan would do well to concentrate on helping the flood-hit get back to their normal lives by ensuring health and material facilities to them.