KERALA FLOOD CASE STUDY

Kerala
Kerala is a state on the southwestern, Malabar Coast of India. The
state has the 13th largest population in India. Kerala, which lies in the
tropic region, is mostly subject to the type of humid tropical wet
climate experienced by most of Earth’s rainforests.

A map to show the location of Kerala

Eastern Kerala consists of land encroached upon by the Western

Ghats; the region includes high mountains, gorges, and deep-cut
valleys. The wildest lands are covered with dense forests, while other
regions lie under tea and coffee plantations or other forms of
cultivation.
Cause
The Indian state of Kerala receives some of India’s highest rainfall
during the monsoon season. However, during 2018 the state
experienced its highest level of monsoon rainfall in decades.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), there was
2346.3 mm of rainfall, instead of the average 1649.55 mm.
Kerala received over two and a half times more rainfall over the
average for August. Between August 1 and 19, the state received
758.6 mm of rainfall, compared to the average of 287.6 mm, or 164%
more. This was 42% more than during the entire monsoon season.
The unprecedented rainfall was caused by a spell of low pressure
over the region. There was a perfect confluence of the southwest
monsoon wind system and the two low-pressure systems that formed
over the Bay of Bengal and Odisha. The low-pressure regions pull in
the moist south-west monsoon winds, increasing their speed, as they
then hit the Western Ghats, travel skywards, and form rain-bearing
clouds
Further downpours, on already saturated land, led to more surface
run-off causing landslides and widespread flooding.
Kerala has 41 rivers flowing into the Arabian Sea, and 80 of its dams
were opened after being overwhelmed. Water treatment plants were
submerged and motors were damaged.

Effects
In some areas, flood water was between 3-4.5m deep. Floods in the
southern Indian state of Kerala killed more than 410 people since
June 2018 in what local officials said was the worst flooding in 100
years. Many of those who died had been crushed under debris
caused by landslides. More than 1 million people were left homeless
in the 3,200 emergency relief camps set up in the area.
Parts of Kerala’s commercial capital, Cochin, were underwater,
snarling up roads and leaving railways across the state
impassable. The state’s airport, which is used by domestic and
overseas tourists, was closed causing major disruption.
Local plantations were inundated by water, endangering the local
rubber, tea, coffee and spice industries.
Schools in all 14 districts of Kerala were closed and some districts
have banned tourists because of safety concerns.
Maintaining sanitation and preventing disease in relief camps housing
more than 800,000 people was a significant challenge. Authorities
also had to restore regular supplies of clean drinking water and
electricity to the state’s 33 million residents.
Officials have estimated more than 83,000km of roads will need to be
repaired and that the total recovery cost will be between £2.2bn and
$2.7bn.

Response
Indians from different parts of the country used social media to help
people stranded in the flood-hit southern state of Kerala. Hundreds
took to social media platforms to coordinate search, rescue and food
distribution efforts and also to reach out to people who needed help.
Social media was also used to support fundraising for those affected
by the flooding. This was supported by a number of Bollywood stars.
Some Indians have opened up their homes for people from Kerala
who were stranded in other cities because of the floods.
Thousands of troops were deployed to rescue those caught up in the
flooding. Army, navy and air force personnel were deployed to help
those stranded in remote and hilly areas. Dozens of helicopters
dropped tonnes of food, medicine and water over areas cut off by
damaged roads and bridges. Helicopters were also involved in
airlifting people marooned by the flooding to safety.
More than 300 boats were involved in rescue attempts. The state
government said each boat would get 3,000 rupees (£34) for each
day of their work and that authorities would pay for any damage to the
vessels.
As the monsoon rains began to ease, efforts increased to get relief
supplies to isolated areas along with clean up operations where water
levels were falling.
Millions of dollars in donations have poured into Kerala from the rest
of India and abroad in recent days. Other state governments have
promised more than $50m, while ministers and company chiefs have
publicly vowed to give a month’s salary.
Even supreme court judges have donated $360 each, while the
British-based Sikh group Khalsa Aid International has set up its own
relief camp in Kochi, Kerala’s main city, to provide meals for 3,000
people a day.
International Response
In the wake of the disaster, the UAE, Qatar and the Maldives came
forward with offers of financial aid amounting to nearly £82m. The
United Arab Emirates promised $100m (£77m) of this aid. This is
because of the close relationship between Kerala and the UAE. There
are a large number of migrants from Kerala working in the UAE. The
amount was more than the $97m so far promised by India’s central
government. However, as it has done since 2004, India declined to
accept donations of aid. The main reason for this is to protect its
image as a newly industrialised country; that it does not need to rely
on other countries for economic help.
Google provided a donation platform to allow donors to make
donations securely. Google partners with the Center for Disaster
Philanthropy (CDP), an intermediary organization that specializes in
distributing your donations to local nonprofits that work in the affected
region, to ensure funds reach those who need it the most.