Kerala: Sandbags placed to prevent seawater from entering village, locals dissatisfied

As Kerala tackles yet another monsoon, sandbags are being placed at the seaside of Chellanam village in Kochi to prevent seawater from entering the coastal areas. However, the locals are unhappy with the preparation and stress the need to construct a seawall.  

"The sandbags are not the solution to our problem as they can't protect the coastal area from sea erosion. The construction of the seawall has not been completed," a villager told ANI.

READ | Heavy Rains Lash Several Parts Of Kerala; Orange Alert In Four Districts On Day-2 Of Monsoon

Even as the Monsoon hits Kerala, memories of the preceding two seasons, during which the state witnessed the devastation and loss of lives, linger on.

In 2018, the state experienced the worst ever floods in its history since 1924. Over five million people were affected by the deluge and landslides triggered by incessant rains that year. The floods were so deadly that it claimed 433 lives and displaced 1.4 million people.

READ | IMD Predicts Widespread Rainfall Over Maha, Chhattisgarh, WB, Bihar During Next 2-3 Days

Kerala prepares for flood-like situations, monsoon-related diseases

This monsoon season, the Kerala government has directed all the district administrations to prepare for a flood-like situation while other agencies have been put on alert. Based on the IMD reports on rainfall, the state disaster management authority is taking measures declaring yellow, orange, and red alerts in respective districts.

The Kerala government is gearing up its machinery to tackle monsoon-related diseases with a revised fever protocol even while as it battles the COVID-19 pandemic. The IMD has said the monsoon is likely to hit the state on Monday. The onset of monsoon over Kerala marks the commencement of the four-month rainy season in the country. The country receives 75% of the rainfall from June to September.

READ | Southwest Monsoon Hits Kerala

As per the latest medical report issued by the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) on its website on Sunday, at least 2,660 fever cases were reported in the state on May 30 and 65,039 fever cases in the month of May alone. The state government anticipates a rise in fever cases in the monsoon season.

"As usual, there are chances of a rise in fever cases during the monsoon season. Along with that, cases of dengue fever, Chikungunya, and Leptospirosis diseases are also likely to increase. The state government has to put up anew plan to tackle these diseases while battling the coronavirus pandemic," a senior Health Department official told PTI.

No untoward incident due to rains has been reported in the state yet, but the Government is on the edge to tackle any disaster caused due to monsoon.

READ | Kerala Set To Tackle Monsoon; Memories Of Flood Fury Stay

(With ANI inputs)