Parliamentary Panel Flags Serious Gaps In Kerala’s Disaster Preparedness

A Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs tabled a report on disaster management in the Rajya Sabha, identifying serious flaws in Kerala's preparedness.

The assessment comes as the southern State faces repeated severe weather incidents and consecutive calamities across successive monsoon cycles, as per The Hindu. 

Kerala exhibits immense geographical vulnerability to climatic shocks, characterised by a narrow coastal belt, dense river network and ecologically fragile Western Ghats.

The parliamentary panel stated that 14.5% of the land area is flood-prone and 14.4% is landslide-prone, while more than half of the coastline remains vulnerable to coastal hazards. This unique geography results in overlapping hazard exposures during intense monsoon periods.

Key Gaps And Vulnerabilities

The parliamentary assessment highlighted persistent shortcomings in last-mile dissemination of early warnings, specifically across remote and landslide-prone territories. Significant technological limitations continue to hinder hyper-local weather forecasting, real-time flood-inundation modelling and the precision of landslide alerts.

High population density exacerbates these disaster risks. Ecological damage and the expansion of urban settlements into fragile environmental zones further compound the vulnerability.

The committee observed that enforcement of basic regulatory measures remains uneven at the local level. These include rules governing construction, land utilisation and coastal zone management. The report recommended strengthening public awareness of multi-hazard warning systems.

Decentralised Framework Praised

Despite the structural gaps, the committee lauded Kerala's comprehensive decentralised disaster management framework, which operates across State, district and Local Self-Government (LSG) levels. The panel praised the State for systematically reviewing its response plans after major calamities and updating them annually through the operational 'Orange Book' document, which integrates response strategies, financial provisions and departmental responsibilities.

The report commended the implementation of advanced early-warning protocols. It specifically highlighted the 'Kerala Warning, Crisis and Hazard Management' (KaWaCHaM) network, which covers floods, landslides, storms and tsunamis, alongside technologies such as GIS-based hazard mapping, remote sensing, flood modelling and landslide early-warning systems.

Community participation also drew strong appreciation from the parliamentary reviewers. More than 4,500 trained Aapda Mitra and community volunteers play an active, frontline role in first response operations during floods and landslides.

State And Centre Responsibilities

Kerala State Disaster Management Authority Member Secretary Sekhar L. Kuriakose responded to the parliamentary findings. Kuriakose said regulating inappropriate land use and driving public awareness fall under the State's purview.

However, Kuriakose said enhancing forecast accuracy and hyper-local weather prediction remains the core responsibility of the Union government. He referenced Entry 53 of List I (Union List), which governs meteorological organisations.

"The State will seriously take note of the suggestions and improve its part, while the forecast-related issues are expected to be addressed by the Centre," Kuriakose told The Hindu.