Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that the State has to brace itself for heavy rains in August.
He said here on Thursday that the start of the monsoon in May end might be vigorous. As the rainy season progressed, the State could face extreme flooding. The monsoon forecast did not augur well for Kerala. The State would have to evacuate thousands and move them to safe localities.
Possible floods posed a significant economic and social challenge to the State, which was reeling under the COVID-19 crisis.
The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has prepared a comprehensive plan to evacuate people from localities vulnerable to flooding, landslips and mudslips. It has set in motion the process to de-silt rivers, lagoons, streams and restore natural courses for the free flow of water.
Major dams in the State were holding well for now, and there was no room for any concern about their safety. None of the barriers had reached maximum capacity, and there was sufficient storage space for storm water from catchment areas.
The government has earmarked 27,000 buildings to quarantine COVID-19 vulnerable persons. It had 2.5 lakh rooms with attached bathrooms at its disposal. The threat of COVID-19 transmission has prompted the government to do away with conventional disaster relief camps where people shelter near each other.
Those fleeing the floods would be accommodated in individual rooms with enough scope for social distancing. It would allocate separate rooms for aged and ailing persons and those with other medical conditions. The government has prepared itself to meet another adversity.
Volunteers who have registered themselves with the ‘Sannadham’ portal would be trained in flood rescue and disaster relief.