Write an essay on kerala flood 2018
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That's all it took for the state of Kerala to flood in neck-deep water, for massive landslides to lay waste to roads and homes and for hundreds to lose their lives.
An aerial view of floods in Kerala. Image: PTI
The floods didn’t discriminate between people and property.
At last count, 357 people lost their lives, and the floods destroyed roughly 906,400 hectares worth of crops. The cost to the state and its people stands at a staggering Rs 19,512 crore.
For the state's oldest living generation, this was take two.
The last rival to a flood of this scale and severity in Kerala was in 1924, where monsoons pelted the hapless state with 3,368 mm of rain. At the time, over 1,000 people are said to have lost their lives, not to mention an enormous toll on livestock.
The 2,086 mm of rainfall this year is nowhere near as bad, but still 30 percent above the annual average. And the monsoon is far from over.
Going beyond the weather
Leading experts suggest a heavy, artificial hand in this latest deluge.
The state was forced to throw open the gates of 35 of its 39 dams, knowing full-well what was to come. Residents were forced to flee, on important roads that happened to be engulfed in floodwater and landslides.
Kochi: People being rescued from a flood-affected region following heavy monsoon rainfall, in Kochi on Thursday, Aug 16, 2018. PTI
And things only got worse from there.
The intensity of the rains meant that two dozen more dams in states nearby were forced to follow suit. The dam gates were opened and a torrent of hell was unleashed on God's own country.
Causes
Kerala received heavy monsoon rainfall, which was about 256% more than the usual rain fall in Kerala, on the mid-evening of August 8, resulting in dams filling to capacity; in the first 24 hours of rainfall the state received 310 mm (12 in) of rain.[22] Almost all dams had been opened since the water level had risen close to overflow level due to heavy rainfall, flooding local low-lying areas.[23] For the first time in the state's history, 35 of its 54[18] dams had been opened.
The Government of Kerala argued in the Supreme Court that the sudden release of water from the Mullaperiyar Dam by the Tamil Nadu government was one of the reasons for the devastating flood in Kerala.[10] The Tamil Nadu government rejected the argument, saying that Kerala suffered the deluge due to the discharge of excess water from 80 reservoirs across Kerala, spurred by heavy rains from within the state; It also argued that the flood surplus from the Idukki dam is mainly due to the flows generated from its own independent catchment due to unprecedented heavy rainfall, while the discharge from Mullaperiyar dam was significantly less. Though it is difficult to attribute any single event to climate change, its possible role in causing the heavy rainfall event over Kerala cannot be ruled out.[24]
Impact
Kerala on February 6, 2018
Kerala on August 22, 2018
Kerala before (left) and after (right) the floods, released by NASA. The images are false-color, which makes flood water appear dark blue and vegetation bright green.
File:Kerala Flood 2018 Cherumkavala, Angamaly.webm
The flooded Mullassery Canal, Angamaly, Kerala, India
A state official told AFP that 370 people have died, while The Economic Times has reported that 33,000 people have been rescued.[8][25][26] The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority has placed the state in a red alert as a result of the intense flooding.[27] A number of water treatment plants were forced to cease pumping water, resulting in poor access to clean water, especially in northern districts of the state.[28] Over 3,274 relief camps[4] have been opened at various locations to accommodate the flood victims. It is estimated that 1,247,496 people[4] have found shelter in such camps.[29][30] The flooding has affected hundreds of villages, destroyed an estimated 10,000 km (6,200 mi) of roads and thousands of homes have been damaged or destroyed.[27] The Government cancelled Onam celebrations, whose allocated funds have been reallocated to relief efforts.[31] On August 12,Cochin International Airport, India's fourth busiest in terms of international traffic, and the busiest in the state suspended all operations until 29 August, following runway flooding.[8] Many schools throughout the state have been closed, and tourists have been dissuaded or banned from some districts due to safety concerns.[25] Kochi Metro was closed briefly on August 16, and has since begun offering free service to aid those affected by the flooding.[32] Due to heavy rain and rising water levels the southern railway has suspended train services on the Thiruvananthapuram-Kottayam-Ernakulam and Ernakulam-Shoranur-Palakkad sections.[33]
A flooded home as on August 16, 2018