Kerala grappling with destructions caused by heavy rain

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the southwest monsoon currently on in the state after keeping its date with the met department’s forecast, the state is grappling with increasing incidents of incessant rain and hostile weather conditions. Lately, gusts and strong winds have caused widespread chaos across the state, uprooting trees, damaging property and even resulting in fatalities.The upkeep of trees, which is crucial to prevent such disasters, is often neglected due to the fragmented responsibility among various agencies.

According to official data, between June 19 and July 23 around 151 houses were destroyed and 3,118 residences were partially destroyed in the state. As many as 64 people lost their lives in various monsoon-related calamities. It is learnt that after the onset of the monsoon, around seven people died in various incidents involving uprooted trees. On Tuesday night, a 42-year-old woman was crushed to death at Peroorkada in Thiruvananthapuram when an ageing Banyan tree came down.

Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) member-secretary Shekar Lukose Kuriakose told TNIE that it was high time the Local Self-Government Institutions came up with a specific tree management policy for revenue land in its jurisdiction to ensure the protection and safety of the public.

He said that a sizeable number of the recent rain-related incidents were caused by uprooted trees. “Based on data available, incidents involving uprooted trees alone accounted for the deaths of seven persons. Besides, there were instances of electrocution after trees collapsed on power lines. Also, lives were lost after trees fell atop houses,” he said.

“Many of the trees on revenue land are not in good health and trees need to be managed. We cannot allow trees to grow on revenue land like they do in the wild. Such dangerous trees and branches need to be pruned regularly and new trees need to be planted in their place,” he added.

The adverse weather conditions prevailing in the state round the year is keeping the Kerala Fire and Rescue Services on their toes throughout. According to Fire and Rescue Services Director General K Padmakumar, emergency situations arising out of adverse weather have become a routine throughout the year. “Now, it’s not during monsoon alone that calamities occur due to adverse weather situations. We attend to a minimum of 25 to 35 calls in each district daily,” he said.

Recognising the growing threat posed by wind and gusts, the KSDMA is now gearing up to develop a comprehensive wind action plan. However, lack of reliable data poses a major challenge in devising an effective strategy. “It’s a challenging job and we have initiated efforts to draw up an action plan. But it’s going to take a while,” he said.