KOCHI: Puthenvelikkara and nearby areas in the district had borne the brunt of the devastation caused by the 2018 flood, the worst to hit the state in nearly a century.
Despite the widespread havoc inflicted on the region, repeated pleas from residents for a lasting solution to the threat posed by flooding had fallen on deaf ears.
Now though, local people are in the process of giving shape to a Disaster Mitigation Plan through joint efforts involving members of the public and a local educational institution. It will be ready for implementation by March next year.
The survey is coordinated by the Community Resources Centre which was formed as per the Disaster Management Planning project of the local body. The Disaster Mitigation Plan will help the authorities to come up with strategies to take effective action in tackling natural calamities.
“The Disaster Mitigation Plan is not merely something to be used for tackling flood and similar situations. It will also provide all the geographical information to the departments concerned for implementing any projects linked with safety, environment and development of the area. It will be a comprehensive mapping system which can be followed by other regions vulnerable to natural calamities,” said M P Shajan, former chairman, Standing Committee (Welfare), Puthenvelikkara, and coordinator, Disaster Management Planning project.
Benchmark
Climate scientist C G Madhusoodhanan is the adviser to the project, for which the survey will be conducted by students of SNM Institute of Management and Technology, Maliankara.Shajan said Puthenvelikkara, Kunnukara and Chendamangalam are major flood-prone regions in Kerala.
“It is situated in the valley where the Chalakudy river meets the Periyar. The river is also narrow and hence a scientific approach is needed. The benchmark for our survey is the Ground Control Point marked at Cheraman Juma Masjid in 1887 by East India Company in its Great Trigonometrical Survey. The height marked in it is 4.40 metres above the sea level and flood inundation mapping will be done based on that,” he added.
They are planning to complete the survey by March. “All the 45 final year Civil Engineering students of SNM Institute is conducting the survey as part of their final year project. The road-level profile between Juma Masjid and Station Kadavu, Puthenvelikkara has been completed. The next step is to identify low-lying areas like Thuruthikkadavu. The locals, in some areas, have marked the flood level during the recent deluge. We need to do flood mapping next to identify up to which level the water will rise based on the amount of rain received,” said Reshma K R, Head of Department, civil engineering, SNM Institute.
Shajan said they already have a rain gauge which helps calculate in real-time the amount of rain received.
“Once completed, the survey will help provide a database for ground elevation marks at various areas in the panchayat, flood inundated areas, tidal flood mapping, vulnerable areas and regions where constructions can be undertaken. Based on the information, we will be able to devise a proper disaster management plan to tackle flooding in the future,” he added.