Keralam Govt To Develop Disaster Management Resilience Project: CM

Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Monday said the Keralam government would develop a Disaster Management Resilience Project to strengthen disaster preparedness, improve early warning systems and minimise the impact of natural calamities.

Replying during the Question Hour in the Assembly, he said the project was envisaged as a model for the entire country, considering Keralam's vulnerability to extreme weather events, including cyclones, cloudbursts, heavy rainfall and tsunamis.

Referring to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, Satheesan said Keralam was a vulnerable region and that weather-related threats previously associated with the Bay of Bengal were increasingly being observed in the Arabian Sea.

"The Arabian Sea was generally calm, but it is no longer so. There is a possibility of a tsunami, cyclone, extremely heavy rainfall or cloudburst occurring at any time. We must consider Keralam a disaster-prone zone and act accordingly," he said.

The proposed project would cover the entire disaster management chain, from climate prediction and early warnings to evacuation, impact mitigation and rehabilitation, he said.

While weather forecasts were issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the government intended to integrate information from various systems and interpret forecasts more precisely to ensure timely and effective warnings, he said.

The project would also establish specific disaster management systems for each district, taking into account regional vulnerabilities, including coastal hazards, landslides in the Western Ghats, river flooding and dam management.

The government intended to engage leading institutions, including IIT Roorkee and IIT Madras, as knowledge partners for the initiative, and had initiated the necessary procedural steps, he said.

Responding to a question on disaster preparedness, public awareness, volunteer training, artificial intelligence-based warning systems and river audits, Satheesan said financial constraints would not hinder projects aimed at protecting human lives and property.

He said Rs 4 crore had been allocated under the government's 100-day action plan for five additional warning sirens and a fire alarm as part of the Wayanad siren network, with the distribution of materials completed.

Nine coastal panchayats had been recommended for UNESCO's Tsunami Ready certification, while the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA), in association with IIT Ropar, had established 51 automatic weather stations. Doppler radar had also been installed in Wayanad district, he said.

Under the Yuva Aapat Mitra initiative, 10,000 volunteers had received training in rescue operations, while a wildlife disaster relief centre had also been set up, he said.

The government had allocated Rs 3.53 crore for five additional warning sirens in Alappuzha and Rs 3.93 crore to improve disaster warning systems in Wayanad, he said.

Modern radar systems would also be established in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Kozhikode districts in association with the IMD. Vulnerable locations, including areas along the Chaliyar and Meenachil rivers and parts of Malappuram and Pathanamthitta districts, had been identified, with funds allocated for preliminary interventions, he added.

The Chief Minister also referred to the growing threats posed by climate change, rising sea levels and recurrent flooding in coastal and inland areas.

He said a pilot project involving river management experts was being implemented in Edavanakkad panchayat to address flooding, while the government was also planning measures to remove accumulated soil and silt from rivers and streams to restore their water-carrying capacity.

The accumulation of silt following the 2018 and 2019 floods and subsequent rain-related incidents had reduced the capacity of rivers, causing flooding even during relatively light rainfall, he said.

The government would take steps to clear the accumulated material before the next Monsoon season, he added.

Satheesan also said specific standard operating procedures (SOPs) would be prepared for vulnerable locations, including areas where several people had died in flooding incidents.

The procedures would specify the immediate response required when a disaster strikes, including the responsibilities of officials and trained volunteers, he said.

Referring to the repeated deaths of fishermen after their boats were hit by high waves near Muthalappozhi in Thiruvananthapuram district, the CM said the government would take necessary emergency measures to address the situation.

"The government does not intend to leave poor people and fishermen at the mercy of nature. Efforts will be made to rescue them and protect them from these threats," he added.