Kerala to implement flood resilience initiative: CMO
The State Government will implement the ‘Kerala Flood Resilience Initiative’ to scientifically address floods and other rain-related disasters caused by climate change, the CMO said on Friday.
A team of experts from IIT Roorkee, IIT Palakkad, and IIIT Kottayam met Chief Minister VD Satheesan and presented a comprehensive roadmap for a state-of-the-art flood-resilience system using advanced technologies, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said in a statement.
The experts suggested scientific preparedness to tackle extreme rainfall, urban flooding, riverine floods, landslides and mudslides, among other natural disasters.
The initiative will use Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, remote sensing, hydrodynamic modelling and accurate rainfall forecasting systems to identify flood-prone areas in advance and issue precise warnings, according to the statement.
The IIT team also recommended that any measures to remove silt and soil from rivers, lakes, and backwaters be undertaken only after a scientific assessment of their impact on the environment and water flow.
The chief minister directed the Water Resources Department and the Disaster Management Department to examine the technical feasibility, financial implications and implementation modalities of the initiative in detail.
The two departments have been asked to jointly examine the proposal and submit a report within a month. Further steps to implement the project in the state will be taken based on the report, the statement said.
The initiative is aimed at developing a comprehensive flood resilience mechanism that could serve as a model for the country by making use of advanced technology, it said.
Revenue Minister A P Anilkumar, Environment Minister Sunny Joseph, Agriculture Minister T Siddique, Water Resources Minister Mons Joseph and Chief Secretary Biswanath Sinha, among others, attended the high-level meeting, the statement added.
