Malappuram (Kerala), Sep 21 (SocialNews.XYZ) Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan on Monday asserted that Kerala would strengthen its disaster warning and evacuation systems after 10 people lost their lives in rain-related incidents in Malappuram, Idukki, and Kottayam, stressing that the latest tragedy had occurred without any major landslide or visible signs of heavy rain.
Speaking to the media after visiting the affected areas in Malappuram, Satheesan said five people had died and one person was missing in the district.
He said the seriousness of the situation lay in the fact that the deaths occurred without any major landslip or landslide being immediately visible at the site.
“There were no visible signs of heavy rain also,” Satheesan said, pointing to the difficulty in predicting such highly localised weather events.
He said there were around 50 people in the locality when the incident occurred.
The place, he pointed out, was not a tourist destination, though social media had projected it as a tourist spot and brought considerable attention to the area.
Similar incidents were reported from Idukki and Kottayam, taking the total number of deaths in the rain-related incidents that happened on Sunday to 10, he said.
Satheesan said the government would take steps to ensure that the families of those who lost their lives were provided assistance.
The details of the assistance would be decided at the Cabinet meeting scheduled for Wednesday, he said.
The Chief Minister said Kerala was now working towards developing a stronger disaster management model, with greater emphasis on district-level preparedness.
"We are working towards a strong disaster management model in Kerala, which will function at the district level," he said, adding that the government expected to bring out the first stage of the new system within three months.
Satheesan said the changing nature of rainfall made more precise weather forecasting essential.
Rainfall was now occurring over very small areas, sometimes covering only around 25 sq km, making it difficult to rely only on broader weather predictions.
"More precision has to come into weather reports," he said.
The Chief Minister said the state was working towards improving the prediction of cloudbursts and other extreme rainfall events.
Such predictions, he said, would have to be backed by stronger warning mechanisms.
“The warning system has to be strengthened. So does the evacuation system,” Satheesan said.
The latest incidents, he said, had underlined the need for Kerala to improve its ability to identify localised weather threats and act before they turn into disasters.
Source: IANS
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