Floods in Kerala have Taken Lives and Displaced Many2 min read

 

For us, the Summer symbolises a time of sunny weather where the days are longer and the general environment feels hot. However, the summer and spring months in the Indian subcontinent signifies the duration of the monsoon season.

It is in the monsoon season that moist, humid air and torrential rainfall covers countries such as India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. With the weather comes the increased risk of mosquito-related diseases and heavy, destructive flooding.

In recent years, we have seen the negative impact of severe flooding, especially in the rural areas of southern India.

Though the rainwater level has reduced, the last fortnight in the state of Kerala has been devastating for locals as the floods have been at their worst in almost a century.

It has been reported that nearly 400 people have died and a shocking one million have been displaced by the destructive nature of the flooding.

Many of those whose houses were destroyed are seeking refuge in thousands of relief shelters spread across Kerala.

With the monsoon beginning to ease, more relief supplies are being pushed in areas that have been isolated during the floods.

An influx of flood relief posts on social media over the past week has caught the attention of many countries willing to help out.

The UAE was willing to offer a reported RS 700 Crores (£77m) to Kerala for flood relief. However, the Indian government announced on Wednesday evening that they refused to accept any foreign aid and would make a domestic effort to control the situation.

This policy of domestic funding was introduced after the Boxing Day Tsunami (2004) despite the fact that it is permissible to accept foreign financial aid in times of a natural disaster.

Though efforts are being made with a domestic budget, all of this could have been prevented with safety measures and planning ahead.

If only the government and authorised agencies used the money for better preparation methods there would have been less suffering during the monsoon.

Kerala is one of the few states in India that have scored low in effective management of water resources.

No flood forecast warnings are put out and flood barriers/dams are opened at the same time, allowing a rush of water to destroy any land in its path.

The authorities need to invest in better ways of not only harvesting water but insuring that effective prevention measures are taken in times of crisis.

 

Photo by Eutah Mizushima on Unsplash