KOZHIKODE: For averting annual monsoon calamities in the district, this year Wayanad made use of micro-rainfall data.
Usually, the district’s rainfall data is recorded by India Meteorological Department (IMD) from four or five centres and then an average is taken. However, this fails to give the rainfall data of specific regions which would be starkly different from one another.
Wayanad went for its own model and prepared well in advance which seems to have saved many lives.
The landslide/flood-prone high range district took readings from 55 local stations, fixed a sealing of 1000 mm rainfall and evacuated people from places which received rain above the mark.
The proof is that one among the places which received highest rainfall-Mundakai-reported a medium-scale landslide on expected lines on August 7, completely destroying four houses. But there was zero human casualty as hundreds of people in the area were already shifted to safer places.
"We started recording daily rainfall reading from June itself. There are private plantation estates in many parts of the district having rain gauge meter and this came handy for us. We continuously monitored areas where high rainfall is being received and prepared a vulnerable map in which Padinjarathara, Chooralmala, Mundakai and Periya were on top," said Wayanad district collector Adeela Abdulla.
The district did not take chances and recorded separate readings even from within kilometres to gauge micro-rainfall differences. Readings from Padinjarathara and Padinjarathara dam and from hooralmala, Mundakai, Kalladi, Erumakolli, which are separated by only a few kilometres were taken separately.
The district soil conservation department played a vital role in compiling this micro-rainfall data.
"We took more readings from rain-prone areas of Western Ghats bordering Kozhikode, Kannur and Malappuram. Nine readings were taken from various stations of Meppadi grama panchayat alone. Gauging the locally special rainfall is pertinent as rainfall distribution largely takes place in a non-uniform manner," said district soil conservation officer, PU Das.
'Stream diverted in Mundakai'
Wayanad has obviously learned from the flood fury in the last two years, of which 2019 was fatal, claiming 17 lives at Puthumala.
"The landslide that happened at Mundakai was not a minor one. Huge debris that accumulated in the local river diverted its path and inundated unexpected places. A nine-member family which
was reluctant to shift out owing to over-confidence had to take shelter upstairs," said ADM, E Muhammed Yusuf.
Wayanad had opened 80 camps where 4,200 people have been sheltered. Another 11,000 persons were shifted to relatives’ houses. It is learned that the state government has taken note of the successful
Wayanad model in monsoon preparation so that it could be replicated in other districts, especially in high range ones.
| Local station-wise data of highest rainfall in Wayanad between June 1-August 10 Padinjarathara--3828 mm Chooralmala--3571 mm Periya--2911 mm Mundakai--2764 mm Erumakolli--2494 mm Padinjarathara dam--2315 mm Kalladi--2306 mm |