During the heavy rainfall over the monsoon period from 1 June to 18 August 2020, all 14 districts in
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
were affected with 104 dead and 40 injured.
Five
districts in Kerala were flooded on 7 August 2020
(Idukki,
Wayanad
Wayanad () is a district in the north-east of Indian state Kerala with administrative headquarters at the municipality of Kalpetta. It is the only plateau in Kerala. The Wayanad Plateau forms a continuation of the Mysore Plateau, the southern ...
,
Malappuram
Malappuram (also Malapuram) () is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of including the surrounding suburban areas. The first municipality in the district formed in 1970, Malappuram serves as the administrative headquarter ...
,
Thrissur
Thrissur (), formerly Trichur, also known by its historical name Thrissivaperur, is a city and the headquarters of the Thrissur district in Kerala, India. It is the third largest urban agglomeration in Kerala after Kochi and Kozhikode, and t ...
and
Kottayam
Kottayam () is a municipal town in the Indian state of Kerala. Flanked by the Western Ghats on the east and the Vembanad Lake and paddy fields of Kuttanad on the west. It is the district headquarters of Kottayam district, located in south- ...
).
Major reported incidents in relation to flooding include a
landslide in Idukki district on 6 August, claiming 66 lives and an
Air India plane crash that caused the death of 21 people.
The 2020 flood in Kerala marked the third year in a row of severe monsoon flooding.
The state is reeling from the destruction: loss of lives, livestock and agriculture and damage to property of approximately ₹19,000
crore.
Kerala State Disaster Management Plan was submitted to the Central Government to improve the disaster management capacity of the state.
Introduction
Geography and rainfall patterns in Kerala
Kerala is located in the south-west of India and has a tropical climate with high annual rainfall caused by monsoon rain patterns. The majority of its annual rainfall (~80%) occurs during the
Southwest Summer Monsoon where warm winds from the
Arabian sea
The Arabian Sea ( ar, اَلْبَحرْ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Bahr al-ˁArabī) is a region of the northern Indian Ocean bounded on the north by Pakistan, Iran and the Gulf of Oman, on the west by the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel ...
cause cloud precipitation over the
Western Ghats mountain range.
Average annual rainfall in Kerala is around 300cm and is caused by high numbers of low-to-moderate intensity rainfall days.
Flood stages and warning systems
Thiruvanthapuram's Early Warning System (EWS) plan of 2016, classifies flood alerts as level 1, 2 or 3. The response to each alert level may include notifying local government, broadcasting to the public, activating response teams or evacuating high risk areas.
By 9 August, 2020, the
India Meteorological Department (IMD) had placed 7 districts in Kerala under red alert.
Analysis of causes
Weather
Kerala experienced 5
low pressure systems during the south west monsoon season in August 2020. This combined with strong winds over the Arabian Sea
resulted in
cloudbursts which saturated soil structures, further weakening bedrock, overwhelming rivers and drainage systems.
Kerala experienced 190% increase in rainfall in the first 10 days of August compared to normal patterns,
causing widespread destruction, flooding and landslides.
Coastal towns, such as
Chellanam
Chellanam is a village and a suburb of Kochi city in the Indian state of Kerala.
History
Chellanam formed the southern border of the pre-colonial Kingdom of Cochin.
In 1510, Goa was captured by the Portuguese general Alfonso Albuquerque fr ...
, dealt with floods as well as rough seas pushing back on rivers, exacerbating flooding.
Landslides
An analysis of the most significant landslide in the Pettimudi tea estate,
Munnar
Munnar () is a town and hill station in the Idukki district of the southwestern Indian state of Kerala. Munnar is situated at around above mean sea level, in the Western Ghats mountain range. Munnar is also called the "Kashmir of South Indi ...
, Idukki, found that the area experienced “extremely heavy rainfall” as classified by the IMD between 3 and 10 August.
Rainfall volume peaked at 612mm falling on 6 August
with the landslide occurring at 22:45 IST. Categorised as “rain induced debris flow”
the landslide was characterised by rapid water flow at a steep gradient, flowing at high velocity from the rocky outcrops through the
shola
Sholas are the local name for patches of stunted tropical montane forest found in valleys amid rolling grassland in the higher montane regions of South India, largely in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamilnadu. These patches of shola forest are foun ...
forest collecting loose material along its course to the tea plantation and worker’s living quarters below. Additional landslides occurred in Idukki, Mundakkai, Kakkayam in Kozhikode,
Nilambur
Nilambur is a major town, a municipality and a Taluk in the Malappuram district of the Indian state of Kerala. It is located close to the Nilgiris range of the Western Ghats on the banks of the Chaliyar River. This place is also known as 'Teak ...
in Malappuram and Kottayam.
Impacts and consequences
Direct impacts
The landslide in the Pettimudi tea estate saw significantly heavy rainfall, resulting in excessive flooding and landslide over a 1.2km tract. Final reports indicate that it destroyed 4 buildings and killed 66 individuals.
Majority of the victims were descendants from the
Dalits
Dalit (from sa, दलित, dalita meaning "broken/scattered"), also previously known as untouchable, is the lowest stratum of the castes in India. Dalits were excluded from the four-fold varna system of Hinduism and were seen as forming ...
caste system. Meanwhile, low-intensity
mudslides
A mudflow or mud flow is a form of mass wasting involving fast-moving flow of debris that has become liquified by the addition of water. Such flows can move at speeds ranging from 3 meters/minute to 5 meters/second. Mudflows contain a significa ...
and landslides occurred in other regions.
On 7 August, the monsoon rain also caused poor landing conditions at
Kerala's Calicut Airport. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, only repatriation flights were allowed. On the 3rd landing attempt, Air India Express Flight 1344 crashed after it slid down a 9-10.5m slope off the runway, killing both pilots and 19 passengers.
Indirect impacts
Search and rescue efforts in this area were stalled due to bad weather conditions. The collapse of the Periyavarai bridge, which is the only connectivity for interstate transport between Munnar to
Marayur
Marayur or Marayoor is a town in Devikulam taluk of Idukki district in Kerala, India. It is located 42 kilometers north of Munnar on SH 17 connecting Munnar with Udumalpet, Tamil Nadu. Marayur is situated at around 1,600 metres (5,200 ft) abo ...
was also an issue. Authorities reported closure of multiple routes including the Pala-Erattupetta road in the Kottayam district where the
Meenachil River
The Meenachil River or Meenachilaar (Malayalam: ), also known as Kavanar, Valanjar, is a river in Kerala. It is one of the most treacherous rivers in Kerala due to its flash floods, heavy undercurrents and woods and debris it carries from the m ...
overflowed into neighbouring towns. Destruction of power lines further affected communication links to the area which caused logistical difficulties in the supply of basic necessities.
Evacuation and relocation efforts led to many residing in temporary relief camps.
A mild increase in
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...
cases was reported in Chellanam's relief camps, complicating the situation.
Agricultural produce was also affected with loss of crops, especially in Kuttanad, and disruptions to transportation caused an increase in food prices.
According to the
Ministry of Home Affairs
An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs.
Lists of current ministries of internal affairs
Named "ministry"
* Ministry ...
, a total of 1,670 villages were affected, 104 lives lost and 40 injured. Short-term health consequences post-flood include injuries and
communicable diseases
An infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable dis ...
(e.g.
diarrhoea
Diarrhea, also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having at least three loose, liquid, or watery bowel movements each day. It often lasts for a few days and can result in dehydration due to fluid loss. Signs of dehydration often begin wi ...
) while long-term impacts includes poor health outcomes due to aspects like
malnutrition
Malnutrition occurs when an organism gets too few or too many nutrients, resulting in health problems. Specifically, it is "a deficiency, excess, or imbalance of energy, protein and other nutrients" which adversely affects the body's tissues ...
and
mental health issues
A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...
.
Response & relief efforts
National
The primary response at the state and national level was to set up relief camps for the flood affectees. A total of 6,300 camps were arranged in the state.
In
Kollam alone, 51 camps were set up, one in each
taluk
A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administr ...
.
The national government also announced ₹200,000 to be distributed among families of casualties of landslides caused by the floods, and ₹50,000 provided to the injured, both through the
Prime Minister's National Relief Fund
Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) in India is the fund raised to provide support for people affected by natural and man made disasters. Natural disasters covered under this include flood, cyclone, earthquake etc. Man made disasters in ...
.
Kerala's State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA), police and
Indian Air Force actively took part in the rescue operations. To search for missing persons, the
National Disaster Response Force
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is an Indian specialized force constituted "for the purpose of special response to a threatening disaster situation or disaster" under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. The "Apex Body for Disaster M ...
(NDRF) was activated, with around 200 personnel.
Fire Force and Forest officials also joined the response teams.
This task force consisted of 50 Fire Force members specializing in night-time rescue activities.
International
In the aftermath of
2018 Kerala Floods
On 16 August 2018, severe floods affected the south Indian state Kerala, due to unusually high rainfall during the monsoon season. It was the worst flood in Kerala in nearly a century. Over 483 people died, and 15 are missing. About a millio ...
, the Indian government refused international aid for relief efforts. They cited sufficient domestic capacity to deal with the disaster, in line with its policy to accept no
foreign aid. It is also seen as a measure to portray the image of India being well equipped to address its needs, and thus little International aid is accepted.
Organizations and individuals
The rugged terrain of Kerala made relief efforts quite challenging for national and international response teams. To fill this gap, local organizations like ''RIGHTS'' who were familiar with the geography and had deep local connections rose to the challenge.
IAG Kerala and
Sphere
A sphere () is a geometrical object that is a three-dimensional analogue to a two-dimensional circle. A sphere is the set of points that are all at the same distance from a given point in three-dimensional space.. That given point is th ...
India assisted in closely monitoring the situation.
These grassroots bodies prioritized safeguarding of children and vulnerable populations, putting focus on ensuring their education continues uninterrupted. This was also supplemented by
direct cash transfer to their families.
Political and social activists also joined in the efforts in their personal capacities. P.B. Nooh, the
District Collector
A District Collector-cum-District Magistrate (also known as Deputy Commissioner in some states) is an All India Service officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) cadre who is responsible for ''land revenue collection'', ''canal reven ...
, used his Facebook presence to conduct frequent live sessions to provide updates on relief efforts to the affected population.
Flood management
Kerala is vulnerable to multiple hazards with flooding in
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...
,
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
, 2020 and 2021 and 43% of the state prone to landslides.
Kerala State Disaster Management Plan outlines the need to reduce hazard risk with ''mitigation'', ''preparedness'', ''response'' and ''recovery''.
Mitigation
Structural measures consist of
81 dams, reservoirs and flood embankments. Non-structural measures include flood hazard mapping and landslide zoning, but larger scale maps are needed to develop effective mitigation plans.
River discharge is monitored at 38 river gauging stations by the
Central Water Commission Central Water Commission (CWC) is a technical organisation that functions as part of the Ministry of Jal Shakti in the Government of India. They are entrusted with the responsibilities of providing consultation to various state governments on water ...
.
Kerala has 68 rain gauging stations, but the
Bureau of Indian Standards
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the National Standards Body of India under Department of Consumer affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Government of India. It is established by the Bureau of Indian Standar ...
recommends 265 to sufficiently monitor rainfall.
Preparedness
IMD monitors weather and Kerala State Emergency Operations Centre (KSEOC) issue colour coded extreme weather alerts.
KSDMA provides public alerts through their website and social media platforms.
KSEOC is working with the
Geological Survey of India
The Geological Survey of India (GSI) is a scientific agency of India. It was founded in 1851, as a Government of India organization under the Ministry of Mines, one of the oldest of such organisations in the world and the second oldest survey ...
, Kerala University and Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council to develop a landslide early warning system. In 2020, 14 permanent multipurpose shelters were constructed by KSDMA with funding from the
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Inte ...
. Civil defence systems have increased training to support search and rescue efforts and the government has given greater autonomy to local agencies and NGOs.
Response
Operations involve the implementation of disaster event preparations from
Rapid Action Force
The Rapid Action Force (RAF) is a specialised wing of the Central Reserve Police Force of India to deal with riot and crowd control situations.
History
RAF was raised on 11 December 1991 with headquarters in New Delhi. It became fully oper ...
(RAF), NDRF and
Kerala Fire and Rescue.
During the floods, NDRF set up 6,300 relief camps with COVID-19 categorisation.
COVID-19 restrictions resulted in fewer vector-borne diseases. Experts initially warned of increased risk of
dengue
Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms typically begin three to fourteen days after infection. These may include a high fever, headache, vomiting, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic ...
in 2020, but Kerala registered five dengue deaths, a decrease from 2018 and 2019.
Recovery
Damage and cost estimates are made prior to reconstruction with funding from the State and National Disaster Response Funds.
KSDMA published a handbook on constructing flood and landslide resilient housing. Further national and international assistance may be sought by the state.
Recommendations
* Implementation of
Sponge Cities
* Increase
hydrometric network coverage and improve data reliability
* Reduce rates of
deforestation
Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. The most concentrated ...
in upland areas and encourage reforestation
* Increase flood resistant buildings
Critiques of flood response plans
The response to the 2020 floods incorporated lessons from previous years by increasing the use of social media to broadcast flood warnings to the community, releasing water from dams earlier in the monsoon season and establishing evacuation camps for those in high risk areas.
Despite improvements being made, Kerala's flood alert system has been heavily critiqued for its inadequacy in responding to flood situations in a timely and coordinated fashion.
See also
*
Kerala floods
*
2018 Kerala floods
On 16 August 2018, severe floods affected the south Indian state Kerala, due to unusually high rainfall during the monsoon season. It was the worst flood in Kerala in nearly a century. Over 483 people died, and 15 are missing. About a millio ...
*
2019 Kerala floods
*
2019 Indian floods
*
Floods in India This is a list of notable recorded floods that have occurred in India. Floods are the most common natural disaster in India. The heaviest southwest the Brahmaputra and other rivers to distend their banks, often flooding surrounding areas.
In the ...
*
Weather of 2020
The following is a list of weather events that occurred on Earth in the year 2020.
Global conditions
As 2020 began, sea surface temperatures were above normal in the eastern Pacific Ocean near the equator, which had the potential to develop ...
*
2020 South Asian floods
In 2020, floods have affected South Asia due to heavy monsoon rains. The floods caused $105 billion USD of damage ($88.5 billion in India, $15 billion in Sri Lanka, and $1.5 billion in Pakistan), making it the costliest standalone flood in mode ...
References
External links
* Official Kerala's Rescue and Information Websit
* Official Kerala State Disaster Management Authority Websit
* Kerala CMDRF Donation Porta
{{Disasters in India in 2020
2020 disasters in India, Kerala floods
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
Kerala floods
Floods in Kerala
2020s floods in Asia