KOCHI: The southwest monsoon has touched Kerala coast 13 days earlier than the normal day of onset and has brought 500 mm of rainfall, the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) informed the Kerala High Court on Friday.
Sekhar Lukose Kuriakose, Member Secretary of KSDMA, who appeared online, submitted that such a scenario has not been witnessed in the past 100 years.“The onset of monsoon itself was unusually intense. For example, within just four days, the entire state received more than 500 mm of rainfall, especially along the hills and midlands,” he said.
Wind speeds have also been alarming, with 68 km per hour recorded near the boat jetty in Ernakulam—close to cyclonic intensity—and 73 km per hour in Piravom. “These are unprecedented,” he noted. In Wayanad, daily reviews are being conducted every morning, and authorities are closely monitoring the situation.
Regarding debris removal in the landslide-hit areas of Wayanad, he informed the court that the clearing operations began in human-inhabited areas. Subsequently, KSDMA decided to extend the work from the confluence of the Punnappuzha and Vadavettupara rivers all the way down to the Attamala region. However, due to the orange alert in some parts of Kerala triggered by continuing heavy rains, work was temporarily halted to ensure the safety of workers.
He added, “The river is flowing smoothly, though rocks remain. With the weakening of the monsoon, much of the debris will be washed away. What we will be left with are boulders. Once these boulders are moved to the shores, we have earmarked locations for bringing them in and shredding them. We are also facing some challenges related to the alignment of the river.”
He made the submission in response to a suo motu case initiated in connection with the prevention and management of natural disasters.