Floods in Kerala: a history - Revision history

Jyoti: /* 2019 */

2024-09-02T19:52:36Z

‎2019

Jyoti: /* The floods of 2018 */

2024-09-02T19:51:38Z

‎The floods of 2018

Pdewan: /* 1924: The great flood of ’99/ Thonnoottompathile [99le] Vellappokkam */

2024-08-14T09:12:41Z

‎1924: The great flood of ’99/ Thonnoottompathile [99le] Vellappokkam

Pdewan: /* See also */

2022-11-03T22:41:08Z

‎See also

Jyoti: /* Damage */

2019-01-14T18:18:17Z

‎Damage

Jyoti: /* September 2018: Drying up rivers and wells */

2018-09-27T21:02:07Z

‎September 2018: Drying up rivers and wells

Jyoti: /* Till mid- August */

2018-09-26T12:58:38Z

‎Till mid- August

Jyoti: /* Contribution of human errors */

2018-09-25T16:41:15Z

‎Contribution of human errors

Jyoti: /* Till mid- August */

2018-09-18T21:05:33Z

‎Till mid- August

Jyoti: /* In just 20 days, Kerala got highest Aug rains in 87 years */

2018-08-22T11:18:52Z

‎ In just 20 days, Kerala got highest Aug rains in 87 years

@@ Line 567: / Line 567: @@
 =2019=
 ==Causes==
-[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/rare-phenomenon-caused-2019-floods/articleshow/84532086.cms  Sudha Nambudiri, August 14, 2024: ''The Times of India'']
+[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/rare-phenomenon-caused-2019-floods/articleshow/84532086.cms  Sudha Nambudiri, July 19, 2021: ''The Times of India'']

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:51, 2 September 2024
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	But the spike in the amount of rainfall this year has been surprising. Kerala has reported more than 215 landslides due to excessive rainfall. Roads of over 10,000 km length have been damaged. Around 20,000 homes have been destroyed and more than 75 people have died this monsoon season in Kerala.		But the spike in the amount of rainfall this year has been surprising. Kerala has reported more than 215 landslides due to excessive rainfall. Roads of over 10,000 km length have been damaged. Around 20,000 homes have been destroyed and more than 75 people have died this monsoon season in Kerala.
		+
		+
		+	=2019=
		+	==Causes==
		+	[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/rare-phenomenon-caused-2019-floods/articleshow/84532086.cms Sudha Nambudiri, August 14, 2024: ''The Times of India'']
		+
		+
		+	KOCHI: The extreme heavy rainfall of August 2019, which caused heavy landslide and mudslide leading to flooding of downstream areas, was a ‘mesoscale cloudburst (MsCB)’, normally seen in north India and a very rare and unheard of phenomenon in Kerala, says a study published in Elsevier ScienceDirect.
		+
		+	Looking at the larger impact of such events in the state, researchers at the Advanced Center for Atmospheric Radar Research (ACARR), Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat), said that rainfall exceeding 50mm in two hours was reported in many places from 8am to 10pm on August 8, 2019.
		+
		+	If what happened in 2019 is a harbinger of how global warming may continue to affect this region, transformation in cloud nature and extreme rainfall events could be a major threat to the highly-vulnerable Western Ghats ecosystem.
		+
		+	“We looked at 2018 and 2019 heavy rainfall events recorded by multiple sources. In terms of the number of casualties and areas affected, the 2018 Kerala flood is considered a major flood and the flood in 2019, a minor one. However, we suggest that the latter must be looked at as a far more convincing evidence of the regional impact of ongoing global climate change. While the 2018 flood partly resulted from a large excess of monsoon rainfall accumulated throughout the season up to mid-August, the rain pattern that caused the 2019 floods is different,” said S Abhilash, director, ACARR- Cusat.
		+
		+	“To our best understanding, such cloudburst events have not been recorded in the region ever since the meteorological data collection started. One of the hotspots of heavy rainfall in the Konkan region between 14° N and 16°N seems to have shifted more southward with likely fatal consequences, although longer records are needed to see if this is a systematic shift,” the researchers pointed out.
		+
		+	An increase in rainfall intensity may suggest a rising probability for landslides in the high to mid-land slopes of Western Ghats in eastern Kerala during the monsoon seasons. The Western Ghats have been subjected to modifications by human intervention, chiefly for crop cultivation and the nature of the land favours landslides of multiple scales.
		+
		+	“Our analysis reveals that the west coast of India is prone to massive flooding both from a moderate to high intensity rain spell that follows a prolonged wet period and also from events such as a cloudburst that pours enormous amounts of precipitation in a very short period.”
		+
		+	Heavy precipitation in a short duration brings run-off water beyond the capacity of the rivers, and the sloping topography from high land Western Ghats to low-lying west coast accelerates the rush of flooding waters.
		+
		+	Under normal monsoon conditions, the water level in the rivers of Kerala during July and August remains high. It suggests that a prolonged/intense spell of surplus rainfall during these months that follows a normal June monsoon has a huge potential to produce flooding near the river basins of Kerala.
		+
		+	The study also highlights that such cloudburst events occurring under ideal ocean-atmospheric conditions may leave a vast area of the state vulnerable to flash floods and landslides, any time during the monsoon season.
		+
		+	[[Category:History\|K FLOODS IN KERALA: A HISTORY
		+	FLOODS IN KERALA: A HISTORY]]
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		+	FLOODS IN KERALA: A HISTORY]]
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		+	FLOODS IN KERALA: A HISTORY]]
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	=See also=		=See also=

@@ Line 96: / Line 96: @@
 After the deluge of 1341, lots of sand was deposited in wet lands at Panangad and Cheppanam Islands in Kumbalam Village. Gradually, a few of the Illoms/Manas at Kumbalam and some of their close Nair Madambis too shifted their residence to such large drained lands at Panangad.   Puthuva Illom/Mana suffered great losses due to the floods at Alangad area and they shifted their residence from Alangad near Aluva and settled at Kumbalam south area. ([http://josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-great-deluges-of-1341-and-1924-and.html   Excerpted from '''Memoirs ''' | Joseph J. Thayamkeril | josephjthayamkeril@gmail.com])
 =1924: The great flood of ’99/ Thonnoottompathile [99le] Vellappokkam =
@@ Line 168: / Line 177: @@
 == Benefits of floods==
 However, floods can also bring many benefits, such as recharging ground water, making soil more fertile and increasing nutrients in some soils. Flood waters kills pests in the farming land. Flooding can spread nutrients to lakes and rivers, which can lead to increased biomass and improved fisheries for a few years. ([http://josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-great-deluges-of-1341-and-1924-and.html   Excerpted from '''Memoirs ''' | Joseph J. Thayamkeril | josephjthayamkeril@gmail.com])
 =2004, Dec: Tsunami=

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:41, 3 November 2022
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	[[Floods in India]]		[[Floods in India]]
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		+	FLOODS IN KERALA: A HISTORY]]
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		+	FLOODS IN KERALA: A HISTORY]]
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		+	[[Category:Pages with broken file links\|FLOODS IN KERALA: A HISTORY]]
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		+	FLOODS IN KERALA: A HISTORY]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:18, 14 January 2019
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	The Centre has already informed the state government that more funds from the Centre can be sanctioned only after the state submits its final report on the total damages occurred. The Centre has at present sanctioned Rs 600 crore as immediate assistance. Modi has promised Governor P Sathasivam that more funds will be allotted once the Centre gets the final report.		The Centre has already informed the state government that more funds from the Centre can be sanctioned only after the state submits its final report on the total damages occurred. The Centre has at present sanctioned Rs 600 crore as immediate assistance. Modi has promised Governor P Sathasivam that more funds will be allotted once the Centre gets the final report.
		+
		+	==Rescue efforts==
		+	===4,500 fishermen in 700 boats rescued 65,000 in 3 days===
		+	[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/the-people-behind-the-the-mega-rescue-mission-during-the-kerala-floods/articleshow/67323771.cms Aswin J Kumar and Sajeev Kumarapuram, January 11, 2019: ''The Times of India'']
		+
		+	[[File: Rescue efforts for Kerala floods, 2018, district-wise.jpg\|Rescue efforts for Kerala floods, 2018, district-wise <br/> From: [https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/the-people-behind-the-the-mega-rescue-mission-during-the-kerala-floods/articleshow/67323771.cms Aswin J Kumar and Sajeev Kumarapuram, January 11, 2019: ''The Times of India'']\|frame\|500px]]
		+
		+	[[File: Different types of boats used in rescue efforts for floods in Kerala, 2018.jpg\|Different types of boats used in rescue efforts for floods in Kerala, 2018 <br/> From: [https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/the-people-behind-the-the-mega-rescue-mission-during-the-kerala-floods/articleshow/67323771.cms Aswin J Kumar and Sajeev Kumarapuram, January 11, 2019: ''The Times of India'']\|frame\|500px]]
		+
		+	[[File: How the crew rescued individuals in the floods in Kerala, 2018- the procedure.jpg\|How the crew rescued individuals in the floods in Kerala, 2018- the procedure <br/> From: [https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/the-people-behind-the-the-mega-rescue-mission-during-the-kerala-floods/articleshow/67323771.cms Aswin J Kumar and Sajeev Kumarapuram, January 11, 2019: ''The Times of India'']\|frame\|500px]]
		+
		+	[[File: Why airlifting was not an option during rescue efforts in floods in Kerala, 2018.jpg\|Why airlifting was not an option during rescue efforts in floods in Kerala, 2018 <br/> From: [https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/the-people-behind-the-the-mega-rescue-mission-during-the-kerala-floods/articleshow/67323771.cms Aswin J Kumar and Sajeev Kumarapuram, January 11, 2019: ''The Times of India'']\|frame\|500px]]
		+
		+	[[File: Why boat rescue worked and how- during floods in Kerala, 2018.jpg\|Why boat rescue worked and how- during floods in Kerala, 2018 <br/> From: [https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/the-people-behind-the-the-mega-rescue-mission-during-the-kerala-floods/articleshow/67323771.cms Aswin J Kumar and Sajeev Kumarapuram, January 11, 2019: ''The Times of India'']\|frame\|500px]]
		+
		+	[[File: The damage done during floods in Kerala, 2018.jpg\|The damage done during floods in Kerala, 2018 <br/> From: [https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/the-people-behind-the-the-mega-rescue-mission-during-the-kerala-floods/articleshow/67323771.cms Aswin J Kumar and Sajeev Kumarapuram, January 11, 2019: ''The Times of India'']\|frame\|500px]]
		+
		+
		+	Mid-August every year, the serene backwaters of southern Kerala turn into a battlefield. The frantic, fiercely-fought paddle boat races attract hundreds of locals and tourists scrambling for the best vantage point. With the precision of an army drill, the oarsmen thrash through the water, their arms rising, flexing and swaying to the rhythm of vanchipattu, the peppy boat song. The year 2018 was no different, but this time there wasn't a single spectator to cheer. And the only music was of the rain pounding like an orchestra of kettledrums.
		+
		+	The coastal state, crisscrossed by 44 rivers, witnessed the heaviest downpour in nearly a century. A monster flood followed, with 11 of its 14 districts affected; 35 dams opened their shutters; hundreds of people died, and over a million were stranded. Roads became rivers, bridges collapsed, electric lines gave out, trains halted and the airport shut down. The warm blue waters looked like strong, frothy tea.
		+
		+
		+	'''Then came the fishing boats. '''
		+
		+	In a stroke of ingenuity, a call had gone out on August 15 for a few boats to help the Army and police in the rescue mission. Over the next 72 hours, however, one of the largest civilian rescue operations the state has ever seen unfolded, with 4,500 fishermen in 700 boats swarming the once-busy towns in search of marooned men, women and children. Over 65,000 were found, and the sons of the sea rescued them all.
		+	Seven hundred boats changed the course of things, much like they did during World War II in 1940. In Dunkirk, northern France, 700 leisure yachts and fishing vessels led a dramatic evacuation of the Allied troops, prompting British premier Winston Churchill’s iconic speech: “We shall fight on the beaches. We shall fight on the landing grounds. We shall never surrender”.
		+	And they didn’t, in Kerala either. “What the fishermen did has no parallel,” chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said a day after rescue operations ended. “They are our real heroes.”
		+
		+	Heavy rains are not unusual in Kerala. Last year's southwest monsoon resulted in 42% more showers than normal. From August 1 to 19, the excess was 164%, according to IMD data.
		+
		+	It was the worst rain since 1924.
		+
		+	The strong winds, sheets of rain and rising flood waters had turned large stretches of land into small islands, leaving thousands of people stranded. The National Disaster Response Force personnel, Air Force choppers and Navy boats swung into action, but the government realised there weren’t enough boats. It contacted the local churches since the priests have a say in the fisherfolk community.
		+	The only questions asked were when and how.
		+
		+	Fisheries officials ran coordination, trucks were seized to transport boats at the earliest, barrels of kerosene were arranged, and in the early hours with the escort of police jeeps, fishermen from 10 districts were headed for the inundated areas, the farthest being 120 kilometres away.
		+
		+	Many of these fishermen had survived Cyclone Ockhi a few months ago, and were familiar with battering waves. But the sea hides no tree branches or electric cables beneath the tides. Catching hold of elderly women sliding down a rope entails skills entirely different from those needed to sweep up the nets at the end of the day.
		+
		+	When he goes out to sea in his small country boat, he is mostly alone. “I like sailing solo, rarely do I prefer company,” says Geromio, a smile deepening the cracks on his weather-beaten face. This seasoned fisherman in his mid-40s carried more than 30 people at a time in his boat as he made innumerable trips, steering through turbulent waters in an unknown village. Every single trip, he says, drew heavily from reserves of experience in battling the sea during rough and calm. “We kept moving to and fro across 10km non-stop from morning till evening. Steadying the boat in strong undercurrents was tough but toughest was to keep those rescued calm,” he recalls.
		+
		+	Geromie and his team would tell the people to sit tight, their heads bowed, since they might panic on seeing the soaring water that threatened to overturn the boat or the bodies that floated here and there. “The flow was so uneven that one sudden jerk could topple the boat. I ran it at high speed to overcome the current, and at the same time, I had to slow down and negate the effect as the boat rammed trees or compound walls on the way,” he says.
		+
		+	Back home, his wife Fabiola and two children watched the shocking scenes on television. “She knew I would come back. You don’t make promises when you go to the sea because you never know what awaits you there, but somehow we return home. Likewise, when we went for rescue, our families knew we would be back,” he says.
		+
		+	“We never thought we would have the privilege of riding our boats on roads and over wells.” Jack Mandela, a fisherman from Valiyaveli, has a way of easing nerves with his words. His stout frame belies the deft boatman he is at the bow. As the currents swelled, the engine driver would holler from the back and Mandela would lurch and paddle away. Whenever obstacles surfaced in the form of broken branches and cables, he would deploy the wooden pole to steady the boat. “This one doesn’t have a reverse gear. All you can do is to minimise the impact of collision. We were used to such things but the people we were carrying had to be comforted every now and then,’’ says Mandela.
		+
		+	His mother is his family and when he isn’t fishing, he drives an auto. “We do everything to make a living. Our multi-tasking skills were tested to the brim during the rescue efforts,’’ he says. Knots, for instance. They were never trained to make knots, but Mandela and his team had to use different types to tie ropes around pillars, iron railings, gates and their own bodies as they steered people to safety. When the boats got stuck over concrete walls or gates, they dove right into the water, sometimes as deep as nine feet, and balanced the boat from both sides as the driver pressed forward.
		+
		+	“When we went to an English-medium school for a reception, we were asked to talk. None of us had done that before. We started to talk and kids surrounded us and bowed. Some of the toughest guys among us just broke down on seeing that,’’ Mandela laughs.
		+
		+	This veteran made news even after he returned from the rescue mission, by netting a catch worth Rs 1.5 lakh in a week. But that’s just money and it didn’t hold him back from heading out to the flood-affected areas. “I would have caught some fish had I stayed back, but now I can say I saved priceless lives for two days. There is nothing that could match that achievement,’’ says Anto Alias.
		+
		+	A man known for his calming influence, be it on sea or land, Anto found that skill invaluable during the rescue operations. “When we were heading to one house as per the message received from officials, people stranded in others would plead to us for help. We could not have reached them at that point but every time a plea was heard, I would get as close as possible and assure them we would be there for them soon. Those words mattered a lot because they had lost all hope,’’ says Anto, who has spearheaded many causes of the fishermen community across the state.
		+
		+	Summons came from places they had never heard of but Anto calmly got his act together—first gathering barrels of fuel, food and water, just as his masters had taught him while heading for the deep sea. On the first day, by evening, some of the fishing boats had exhausted their fuel reserve and back-up stock and had to wait at a time when every minute was precious. Anto and his team had with them 900 litres of fuel, which kept them going for two days straight. When the surging water denied them access to move people, they found a way to get them food and water. And if they couldn’t do so at night, they assured them it would be at their doorstep first thing in the morning. Anto and his team kept their word. Many families survived on the bread and milk Anto brought them and found the strength to give the team a hug they will cherish forever.
		+
		+	This fisherman from Poonthura, who went to flood-ravaged Chengannur on a rescue mission, knows better than anyone what it is to be left alone surrounded by water, living solely on hope that help will come. When Ockhi hit Kerala, Joseph and his four friends were caught in the waves, their boat broken to pieces; one of them drowned in front of his eyes.
		+
		+	They held on for four days, gulping down sea water, until a boat came their way and brought them safely to Kulachal. Four months of hospital visits followed as the doctors tried their best to bring his battered body back into shape.
		+	This time, Joseph and his friends, Babu and Dasan, along with other fishermen from Vizhinjam, had loaded 22 boats from Vizhinjam on lorries using ropes. They banked on their skills to tackle strong undercurrents and reached out to people. “We kept talking to them when we took them in our boats. They were shattered and we thought sharing our life experience would strengthen them while we were on our way to relief camps,’’ he says.
		+
		+	Joseph is not an emotional man but he says he will never forget the hugs he received from complete strangers. “I didn’t even ask their names, they just held our hands and hugged us and would break down when we dropped them at relief camps. I am never going to forget that experience. When my kids grow up, I want to share it with them," he says.

	==1924 vis-à-vis 2018==		==1924 vis-à-vis 2018==

@@ Line 406: / Line 406: @@
 "The Centre for Water Resources Management has been assigned the task of studying fall in water levels, changes in groundwater and land cracks," Vijayan, who is under treatment in US, said in a Facebook post.
 Download The Times of India News App for Latest City News.
 ===Preliminary report: Rs 19,512 crore loss===

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:58, 26 September 2018
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	Meanwhile, the Supreme Court directed Mullaperiyar dam authorities to chalk out contingency plan to meet any crisis due to release of water and also consider reducing the water level to 139 feet from the present 142 feet. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Indu Malhotra asked Tamil Nadu and Kerala to work harmoniously to get over the problem. Earlier, advocate Manoj George had contended release of water from the dam “at the whims and fancies of Tamil Nadu for extraneous reasons” is a threat to the life of people living downstream.		Meanwhile, the Supreme Court directed Mullaperiyar dam authorities to chalk out contingency plan to meet any crisis due to release of water and also consider reducing the water level to 139 feet from the present 142 feet. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Indu Malhotra asked Tamil Nadu and Kerala to work harmoniously to get over the problem. Earlier, advocate Manoj George had contended release of water from the dam “at the whims and fancies of Tamil Nadu for extraneous reasons” is a threat to the life of people living downstream.
		+
		+	===September 2018: Drying up rivers and wells===
		+	[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/thiruvananthapuram/rivers-wells-dry-up-in-flood-hit-kerala-govt-orders-study/articleshow/65782626.cms Rivers, wells dry up in flood-hit Kerala, govt orders study, September 12, 2018: ''The Times of India'']
		+
		+
		+	With mercury levels rising and abnormal drying up of rivers and wells reported in flood-hit Kerala, the state government has decided to conduct scientific studies on the post-flood phenomenon in the state.
		+
		+	Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has directed the State Council for Science, Technology & Environment to carry out studies on the phenomenon after floods across the state and suggest possible solutions to the problems.
		+
		+	A series of issues including soaring mercury level, unprecedented dip in water level of rivers, sudden drying-up of wells, depletion of groundwater reserves and mass perishing of earthworms have caused widespread concern in various parts of Kerala after the devastating deluge last month.
		+
		+	The flood-battered Wayanand district, known for its rich biodiversity, recently witnessed the mass perishing of earthworms, causing concern among farmers who attributed it to the rapid drying up of earth and change in soil structure.
		+
		+	Many rivers including Periyar, Bharathapuzha, Pampa and Kabani, which were in a spate during the days of flood, are now getting dried up and their water level has decreased abnormally.
		+
		+	Besides the drying up of wells, their caving in was also reported in many districts.
		+
		+	The flood had altered the topography of the land in many places and km-long cracks had been developed especially in high range areas of Idukki and Wayanad which had witnessed a large number of landslides.
		+
		+	After floods, drought condition was also predicted by experts in many districts of the southern state.
		+
		+	"The Centre for Water Resources Management has been assigned the task of studying fall in water levels, changes in groundwater and land cracks," Vijayan, who is under treatment in US, said in a Facebook post.
		+	Download The Times of India News App for Latest City News.

	===Preliminary report: Rs 19,512 crore loss===		===Preliminary report: Rs 19,512 crore loss===

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:41, 25 September 2018
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	Environmentalists said instead of making more stringent regulations to mitigate the impact of climate change, irregular rainfall and cloud bursts, the state relaxed quarrying rules. It allowed quarrying within 50m of residential localities. “It is an irony that we announce compensation for property damage after landslides when we could have mitigated these impacts and saved an ancient ecosystem that is the principal source of drinking water for Kerala,” said former chairman of state biodiversity board V S Vijayan, who was also a member of WGEEP panel.		Environmentalists said instead of making more stringent regulations to mitigate the impact of climate change, irregular rainfall and cloud bursts, the state relaxed quarrying rules. It allowed quarrying within 50m of residential localities. “It is an irony that we announce compensation for property damage after landslides when we could have mitigated these impacts and saved an ancient ecosystem that is the principal source of drinking water for Kerala,” said former chairman of state biodiversity board V S Vijayan, who was also a member of WGEEP panel.
		+
		+	===’Kerala dams were full even before rains’ ===
		+	[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2018%2F09%2F10&entity=Ar00109&sk=ABAE9466&mode=text Vishwa Mohan, Kerala dams were full up even before rains: Study, September 10, 2018: ''The Times of India'']
		+
		+	[[File: Storage capacity of reservoirs and water received as cumulative runoff in 3 days- August 15- 17, 2018; How much it rained- June- August 19, 2018; All dams, except Idukki, were already at 'full reservoir level' on August 14, 2018.jpg\|Storage capacity of reservoirs and water received as cumulative runoff in 3 days- August 15- 17, 2018; <br/> How much it rained- June- August 19, 2018; <br/> All dams, except Idukki, were already at 'full reservoir level' on August 14, 2018 <br/> From: [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2018%2F09%2F10&entity=Ar00109&sk=ABAE9466&mode=text Vishwa Mohan, Kerala dams were full up even before rains: Study, September 10, 2018: ''The Times of India'']\|frame\|500px]]
		+
		+	On the eve of torrential rains that caused widespread flooding in Kerala, the state’s major dams, barring Idukki, were already full to capacity leaving little scope of containing cumulative runoff totalling more than 200% of the storage capacity of all big and small reservoirs in the state.
		+
		+	The finding is part of a detailed study on Kerala floods carried out by the Central Water Commission. It submitted its report to the water resources ministry last week.
		+
		+	Kerala received 12 billion cubic metre (BCM) of water in three days of exceptionally high rainfall during August 15-17, more than double the capacity of all reservoirs
		+
		+	(5.8 BCM) in the state, presenting an impossible scenario as waters began to rise in several districts leading to mass evacuation.
		+
		+	''' ‘Kerala dams didn’t release extra water’ '''
		+
		+	In view of the state’s experience, the report recommended revisiting the ‘rule curves’ — strategic water level for planning operations of a dam — of all reservoirs. The report said the dams neither added to the flood nor helped in reducing the flow. It said “above normal” rainfall in June and July and exceptionally high rainfall in August left the state helpless despite following standard operating procedures on reservoirs. The report will be submitted to the Kerala government on Monday.
		+
		+	“The dams did not release anything extra of what they received. The authorities had released water in a very controlled manner. The commission has come to the conclusion after computing and analysing step by step inflow and outflow of water during the entire season,” CWC director (hydrology) N N Rai said.
		+
		+	He told TOI on Sunday that the report would recommend “revisiting rule curves of all reservoirs” in view of shrinking of their water carrying capacity over the years.
		+
		+	A rule curve specifies storage or empty space to be maintained in a reservoir during different times of the year.
		+
		+	“The rule curve as such does not give the amount of water to be released from the reservoir. This amount will depend on inflow to the reservoir, or sometimes it is specified in addition to rule curves,” said Sharad Jain, director of National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee. Rule curves are derived by studying the historical data.
		+
		+	Though it helps in maintaining water levels, certain reports suggested that a tendency to keep back water for leaner seasons may have led to high reservoir levels.

	===Poor implementation of the ‘package’ hurt Kuttanad===		===Poor implementation of the ‘package’ hurt Kuttanad===

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:05, 18 September 2018
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	Meanwhile, the Supreme Court directed Mullaperiyar dam authorities to chalk out contingency plan to meet any crisis due to release of water and also consider reducing the water level to 139 feet from the present 142 feet. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Indu Malhotra asked Tamil Nadu and Kerala to work harmoniously to get over the problem. Earlier, advocate Manoj George had contended release of water from the dam “at the whims and fancies of Tamil Nadu for extraneous reasons” is a threat to the life of people living downstream.		Meanwhile, the Supreme Court directed Mullaperiyar dam authorities to chalk out contingency plan to meet any crisis due to release of water and also consider reducing the water level to 139 feet from the present 142 feet. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Indu Malhotra asked Tamil Nadu and Kerala to work harmoniously to get over the problem. Earlier, advocate Manoj George had contended release of water from the dam “at the whims and fancies of Tamil Nadu for extraneous reasons” is a threat to the life of people living downstream.
		+
		+	===Preliminary report: Rs 19,512 crore loss===
		+	[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/thiruvananthapuram/kerala-floods-state-govts-preliminary-report-pegs-losses-at-rs-19512-crore/articleshow/65573857.cms Rajiv G, Kerala floods: State government's preliminary report pegs losses at Rs 19,512 crore, August 28, 2018: ''The Times of India'']
		+
		+
		+	The preliminary report of the Kerala government on the total loss occurred in the recent floods in the state has been pegged at Rs 19,512 crore. The final report will be submitted to the Centre by end of this week. The state had earlier sought Rs 2000 crore as immediate assistance from the prime minister during his visit to the state, but the Centre had given only Rs 600 crore.
		+
		+	The compilation of the total loss submitted by each of the departments is in final phase and the chief secretary’s office is preparing the report to be submitted to the Centre. The public works department has been the biggest casualty in the floods with their loss alone estimated around Rs 5700 crore.
		+
		+	The PWD has mentioned in the report that in Idukki alone, they have incurred losses to the tune of Rs 300 crore from damaged roads. In addition, the PWD has also suffered huge loss in terms of the damages caused to the government buildings.
		+
		+	The tourism sector is learnt to have pegged their loss at Rs 500 crore, out of which the government has suffered loss upto Rs 100 crore. The private sector has been the biggest casualty in the tourism sector. The power department has reported a loss to the tune of Rs 400 crore. The health sector has reported a loss to the tune of Rs 40 crore in terms of equipment and damages to buildings.
		+
		+	However, the health department has made it clear in their report that there will be a hundred percent increase in the demand for drugs and for which an additional Rs 150 crore will have to be sourced. "More than the damages caused to the hospital buildings and equipment, the huge demand for drugs now is what is going to cost us more,’’ said additional chief secretary Rajeev Sadanandan.
		+
		+	The Centre has already informed the state government that more funds from the Centre can be sanctioned only after the state submits its final report on the total damages occurred. The Centre has at present sanctioned Rs 600 crore as immediate assistance. Modi has promised Governor P Sathasivam that more funds will be allotted once the Centre gets the final report.

	==1924 vis-à-vis 2018==		==1924 vis-à-vis 2018==

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 To put that in perspective, if Thursday’s rain over just 1sq km area was to be poured over a football field, it would create a pool nearly 10 storeys (38 metres) high. “The impact of the low-pressure systems is now wearing off. Rainfall over Kerala should decrease tomorrow, although so- me areas are still likely to get heavy showers. By Saturday, there is likely to be a further decrease in rain activity,” Mohapatra said.
-== In just 20 days, Kerala got highest Aug rains in 87 years==
+=== In just 20 days, Kerala got highest Aug rains in 87 years===
 [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2018%2F08%2F21&entity=Ar00322&sk=761589F3&mode=text  Neha Madaan, In just 20 days, Kerala gets highest Aug rains in 87 yrs, August 21, 2018: ''The Times of India'']