THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As the monsoon is advancing over the state, the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) is expecting that around 34 lakh people may be affected if there is an excess precipitation this season, similar to the one witnessed by the state in 2018. But this is a worst scenario projected by the KSDMA considering its experience in the last two back-to-back floods. Up to 34 lakh people may be affected if there is large excess rainfall and the KSDMA has braced itself to face such a situation.
Speaking to TNIE, KSDMA member secretary Sekhar L Kuriakose said “we have already asked local bodies to identify four types of buildings to house people in various categories in the wake of Covid-19. The KSDMA used to arrange around 2,000 relief centres to face monsoon calamities in the state every year. But this year, around 8,000-9,000 buildings would be arranged for using them as relief centres in the backdrop of the pandemic,” he said.
Schools, auditoriums and halls will come to the aid of KSDMA to arrange relief centres. Curiously, these buildings also figure in the list of buildings identified by the district administration to quarantine people with suspected symptoms of Covid-19. But this would not be an issue as the state now prefers home quarantine for people coming from outside the state, instead of institutional quarantine, which is limited to only those who have no facilities at homes.
But, this monsoon will be a tight situation for the state considering the forecast. This season, 100 per cent rainfall of the long period average (LPA) is forecast, whereas it was 96 per cent in 2019 and 97 in 2018, which witnessed eight extremely heavy rainfall days recording over 20 cm rain in a day. The state is yet to get information on the extremely heavy rainfall days, which will create floods in a short time span.
First cyclone shelter this month
T’Puram: The state is likely to open its first cyclone shelter at Mararikulam in Alappuzha this month. The state has planned to construct 16 Multipurpose Cyclone Shelters across the coastal districts to enhance the resilience of the people in the event of coastal hazards. MPCSs are designed in a manner to function as community halls, classrooms or vocational training centres etc during normal times.
However, they will serve as nodal point for carrying out post-disaster response and relief activities and provide protection to the communities when they are evacuated from their homes during an event of disaster. The `82-crore project is in various stages of implementation. KSDMA member-secretary Sekhar L Kuriakose said the plan is to inaugurate the cyclone shelter in Alappuzha this month.