Lack of action increases vulnerability

Rajeev, 52, of Niranam in Pathanamthitta ended life by suicide in April this year. The paddy grower took this extreme step after suffering crop loss for two successive years due to the unexpected summer showers. Both years, around 1,000 acres of paddy fields in the Kuttanad region flooded due to the summer rains.

Rajeev had spent Rs 50,000 per acre. However, the government gave a compensation of just Rs 2,000 per acre. As per government reports, this April the state suffered crop
loss to the tune of around Rs 260 crore due to summer showers.

While the back to back calamities in Kerala since 2018 has put the spotlight on the need to change land use patterns, no concrete step has taken in this regard.

Quarrying activities continue unabated, even in areas which suffered landslides, despite the findings that they are a key reason for the frequent landslides in the state.

Though the disaster management systems witnessed considerable change in Kerala following the 2018 floods, implementation is taking time due to the lack of cooperation from various stakeholders.