The worst disaster in Kerala
Both private sector and government should assist
flood-affected people in Kerala. The unprecedented deluge in Kerala unleashed
by heavy rain, overflowing rivers, brimming dams and massive landslips has
shocked everyone. More than 160 people have died since August 8, and several
are missing. The State government faces the challenging task of rescuing people
who are marooned. It is providing them food and water until the teams get to
them.
About 2,23,000 people had been
moved to more than 1,500 relief camps as of Friday. A respite in rainfall has
aided the relief efforts. It will take a major effort, using a combination of
boats and aircraft from the Air Force, the Navy and the Coast Guard and legions
of rescue personnel, to get all the stranded people to safety. The National
Disaster Response Force is also playing its role.
The task of reconstruction will
have to be addressed, covering public buildings, residential homes, roads and
other infrastructure. A subsidised housing programme may be needed in the
worst-hit areas.
There is an outpouring of goodwill
and support from across the country and even abroad. Support groups from
neighbouring States such as Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have begun sending relief
material. It is important to continue with the air-dropping of food, water,
candles, matches and other essentials to the worst-hit areas. Many control
rooms have been opened. This is a disaster on a scale Kerala has never seen
before.
All agencies pressed into action
must be taken care of as they are the real saviours in Kerala. Round the clock
24/7 day and night all the time, those are working must be given top priority
in day to day activities.
Heavy rains (and let us not forget,
lack of preparedness to face fury of nature) has unfortunately become a routine
occurrence in our country. We have experienced huge loss of human life and
property in Mumbai in July 2015, in Chennai in December 2015 and now we are
facing a similar unprecedented flood situation in Kerala in August 2018.
Question is this: why do we find ourselves in such situations? If floods are on
account of heavy rains, why do we often fail to predict the possible impact of
heavy rains? 2. What is a ‘national emergency’?
Flood management in the country has
been generally tardy. Governments wake up long after devastation has been done
to life and property. Preventive measures like environment protection and early
relief preparation are rarely seen
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