Seasonal monsoon rains from June to September cause deaths and mass displacement across India every year but they also deliver more than 70% of India’s rainfall and are crucial for farm output and economic growth.
In Kerala, the disaster forced the evacuation of more than 22,000 people and the closure of Cochin International Airport, the busiest airport in the tourist state.
Located along the banks of the Periyar river, the airport will be shut until at least 3pm tomorrow, although the Indian Navy has opened an airfield at a naval base for use by commercial flights, officials said.
An official said the decision to close the airport was taken after flood water reached the taxiway.
More than 100 domestic and international flights operate from the Kochi airport everyday.
Though the airport staff was pumping out water from the taxiway and the sides of the airport, nine aircraft that arrived on Thursday night are still parked in the bay, unable to fly out.
“My son had to rejoin duty in Qatar today, but he cannot fly out,” said an anxious father.
Kerala was hit by devastating floods last August that killed more than 200 people and affected more than 5mn.
Those floods, dubbed the worst to hit the state in nearly a century, caused billions of rupees of damage to fields, homes and other infrastructure.
A few dozen people are feared trapped after a major landslide in Puthumala village in the hilly district of Wayanad.
Meppadi Wayanad, often referred to as the poor man’s Ooty, district saw its entire look change after a massive landslide.
Over 1,000 people are marooned in the area.
Rescuers have recovered seven dead bodies and the state government is planning to airlift rescue equipment to the area, said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
“All arrangements have been put in place to deal with the disaster,” Vijayan said.
He said things were under control.
“If one compares with the floods that took place at the same time last year, it’s not that serious. As a government, we have taken every precaution and there need be no panic, but just be alert. The need of the hour is people should co-operate with the authorities.”
Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka have also been hit this week by heavy rains and flooding.
Officials said at least 38 people have been killed in the states this week due to the rains and more than 200,000 have been evacuated.
Hundreds of villages and a few towns in the affected areas of Maharashtra do not have electricity and drinking water, a state government official said yesterday, and authorities are trying to restore electricity in some areas.
Fuel was also scarce because some districts had been cut off from the rest of the state, the official said.
Schools and colleges in many parts of western and southern India have been shut since Monday and are unlikely to open this week, authorities have said.
Milk and vegetable supplies to Mumbai dropped significantly yesterday because many of the affected districts in Maharashtra are major suppliers.
The weather department has forecast heavy rainfall in Kerala, Maharashtra and Karnataka in the next two days.
Kerala has been releasing water from some of its dams to avoid dam waters rising to dangerous levels like last year, authorities said.