Kerala

The Kerala flood of 2018 was 30 percent less intense than that of 1924 deluge, the biggest in Kerala’s history. Yet it caused a huge loss of lives, property and infrastructure. Swollen rivers ruptured their banks and floodwaters gushed through houses built on the floodplains.

Every time there is a huge flood in India with massive loss of lives and extensive physical damage, there is a hue and cry. Especially, if this takes place in an area not normally prone to such floods. Assam and Bihar, for instance, are regularly laid waste by floods and so, there is not much agitation over that anymore.

More than 1000 people dead in three months in India due to heavy rains

Kerala blames Tamil Nadu for massive floods in the state

When the five overflow gates of the Cheruthoni dam, a part of the Idukki reservoir comprising Cheruthoni, Kulamavu and Idukki arch dam were opened one by one on August 9, 2018, a torrent of water and mud gushed out. Heavy, unceasing rains had led to the dam reaching close to its maximum capacity, forcing the dam authorities to open all its gates.

Kerala floods: Death toll rises to 373

Kerala floods take 38 lives, severe loss reported

The scenic sublimity of the Meenachil river is immortalised by Arundhati Roy in her Booker prize-winning novel, The God of Small Things. Roy skilfully presents the river flowing through the Aymanam village as a victim of human greed and callousness. The river is described in the book as a beautiful one that turns an ugly waste dump into which anything could be flung.

India has the highest number of people without access to toilets: Report

Latha, well known environmental activist and researcher from Kerala, is no more with us physically. Though many of us knew that she was battling with cancer for the last 3-4 years, closely following her ups and downs and also knowing that over the last two weeks or so her health was steadily deteriorating, the question still comes up time and again, why was she taken away from us so early?