Flood toll rises as Kerala grapples with downpour

Thedeath toll from floods in the states of Karnataka, Kerala andMaharashtra rose to 95, official figures showed yesterday, as heavy rainand landslides forced hundreds of thousands to evacuate their homes.InKerala, some 42 people died and over 100,000 affected people have beenevacuated, the central government’s disaster management cell said, after80 landslides hit the state in two days.The state was yesterdayopening the gates of Banasurasagar dam in Wayanad district to managewater levels and avoid serious damage.Last year, more than 200 people were killed and over 5mn affected in one of Kerala’s worst floods in 100 years.Someresidents said the sudden opening of dam gates without proper warningsto those living downstream was a big factor in the devastation.Thestate’s busiest airport, Cochin International Airport, closed sinceFriday as the taxiway was water-logged, will resume operations todaymorning, the airport management said.The maximum deaths — 15 — werereported from Wayanad, while Malappuram, Palakkad, Idukki, Kozhikodewere other worse-hit districts, officials said yesterday. A red alertfor today has been issued in Kasargode, Kannur and Wayanad. More rain ispredicted in a few other districts.Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayanyesterday took stock of the situation. Officials informed him that themaximum number of relief camps had been set up in Kozhikode, followed byWayanad.Vijayan had earlier said 80 landslides had been reported from eight worst-hit districts. Authoritiesare yet to ascertain the actual number of missing in the landslides atMeppadi in Wayanad district and Kavalapara in Malappuram district. According to unconfirmed reports, 41 were missing in Kavalapara, headded.Stating that no aerial survey could be conducted due toinclement weather, Vijayan said as soon as the weather cleared ups theaerial survey could be carried out.The chief minister said despiteheavy rains, water level had increased only three dams and continued tobe low in Idukki and Pathanamthitta.Floodgates of the Banasura dam,which was overflowing, were opened as per the announcement and no damagewas reported as those living downstream had been shifted to secureplaces.He said all the government officials and departments engaged in relief works would be working on holidays as well. “Cellphone towers on wheels are being set up in areas where communication has snapped,” said Vijayan.Therailways were working overtime to start trains’ operations and army’shelp had been sought for inspection of bridges, he said.Seasonalmonsoon rains from June to September are a crucial lifeline for agrarianIndian society, delivering 70% of the country’s rainfall, but they alsobring in their wake death and destruction every year.“Our entirevillage under water for the last eight days but still we haven’t got anyassistance from the government,” said farmer Prashant Lathe, 35, from avillage in one of the flood-hit districts of the western state ofMaharashtra.The district has lost access to all basic amenities suchas drinking water, power supply, cooking gas cylinder and petrol forrunning vehicles, Lathe said.Excessively strong rains can also harm India’s farming sector, which employs nearly half of its 1.3bn people.Lathe said his sugar cane plantation of around four acres was submerged.InKarnataka, home to India’s tech hub Bengaluru, some 24 people have diedin what Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa said yesterday were the worstfloods in 45 years.Around 1,024 villages have been inundated due tothe rains, several dams were reaching their full capacity, and over200,000 people had been evacuated, he added.In Maharashtra, home to India’s financial capital Mumbai, 29 people have died this week.TheIndian Meteorological Department said heavy to very heavy rain waslikely to lash isolated areas of Kerala, parts of Karnataka andMaharashtra, and some southern states might also see extremely heavyrain.