MPs, IMD had alerted Kerala, Centre of impending disaster

NEW DELHI: It’s not as if the state government or the Centre were caught unawares by the Kerala floods in view of the heavy rains and predictions of increasing severity by the national forecaster. They had discussed and exchanged notes on the impending danger, but the follow-up action was not enough to save those who lost their lives and the devastation wreaked by the floods.

Over three weeks ago, MPs from the state, cutting across party lines, raised the critical issue of the state’s preparedness to battle such a calamity in the Lok Sabha during the five-hour-long discussion on the flood situation. Referring to the then flood fury in certain districts of Kerala and apprehending disaster, the lawmakers even placed a list of demands, including dos and don’ts.

The Centre responded to the MPs concerns claiming to have taken measures to deal with the situation and said it had been working together with the state to mitigate the problems faced by people.

“The Army is put on standby. All our central forces are put on standby. The Navy has been put on standby. The boats, which you require, have already been asked to be there on the spot wherever it is required. So, all necessary assistance from the government of India has already been given there. So, on the ground, there is no such crisis with regard to the assistance required from the government of India,” said junior home minister, Kiren Rijiju, while responding to the MPs’ concerns in the Lok Sabha on July 25.

Loss of many human lives after such assurance, however, shows that preparation was not adequate despite having information of impending weather fury. The India Meteorological Department’s weekly weather outlooks (predictions) of last four weeks also show that the state has consistently been on radar for having above normal rainfall.

A couple of MPs had flagged how unplanned reservoir regulation (timing of release of water from reservoirs), failure of flood control structures and loss of wetlands, lakes, reservoirs and other water bodies had led to such floods.

“Uncontrolled exploitation of natural resources and ignoring ecology and environment... are the main reasons,” said N K Premachandran, MP from Kollam, while emphasising the need for a long-term national contingency plan.