PATHANAMTHITTA: With Pathanamthitta reeling under four days of devastating floods, Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Tuesday announced that the district would serve as the pilot location for state’s most advanced disaster resilience and early warning system, aimed at improving preparedness for extreme rainfall and flash floods.
After reviewing flood relief operations at Kozhencherry, the chief minister said the proposed system would feature a denser network of rain gauges and an advanced early warning mechanism to be developed in collaboration with climate research institutions, including CUSAT and the Hume Centre.
“The challenge in Pathanamthitta is the increasing frequency of extreme rainfall events and cloudbursts. They leave us with very little time to respond and evacuate people safely,” he said, adding that reports had been received of a major landslide and several minor landslips inside forest areas.
He said the government would immediately take up desilting of rivers after floodwaters recede, noting that the declining carrying capacity of rivers had aggravated the flood situation.
“The Pampa and other major rivers have been choked with silt, sand and debris deposited during the 2018 floods and subsequent flood events. We have not paid adequate attention to maintaining the carrying capacity of our rivers despite repeated floods since 2018. Once the floodwaters recede, our immediate priority will be to desilt the rivers and restore their carrying capacity,” he said.
The chief minister dismissed allegations that relief camps were facing shortages of food and medicines, saying government agencies had been working round the clock to ensure uninterrupted supply.
“The police, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Fire and Rescue Services and other agencies are ensuring that food and essential supplies reach every relief camp. Directions have also been issued to open additional camps wherever the number of inmates exceeds 150 to prevent overcrowding,” he said.
Announcing immediate financial relief, the chief minister said every flood-affected household would receive Rs 10,000 to help clean and restore damaged homes.
After the review meeting, he visited relief camps and interacted with flood survivors. The chief minister assured them that the government would take immediate decisions to address the concerns of farmers and traders who had suffered heavy losses.