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KERALA FLOODS

Life resumes after floods floods. The Chairman of

the Chamber Biju Ramesh
apprised that a large num-
but livelihood in jeopardy ber of small traders and
shopkeepers have been ef-
fected besides the industri-
al outfits. “A massive project
is being designed in collab-
After devastation, destruction and loss of lives due to floods in ‘God’s Own Country’, the valiant oration with the Chambers
of Gujarat, Vishakhapattan-
Keralites have exhibited an uncanny courage to restart their lives, writes KOMAL AMIT GERA am and other like-minded
associations. This would be
avaged and dislocated in measured and may remain seared into sessed but the damage is much more announced next week, he
the aftermath of deluge-a the memories of the victims for long than feared”, told P C Cyriac, a former added. The loss to the trade
calamity declared as a worst time, but the economic impact of such bureaucrat who also had a stint as the and industry has been
disaster in the Kerala’s his- disaster needs to be cured in a short- Chairman of Rubber Board. Agriculture pegged at 15,000 cr but
R tory, the victims of floods est possible time. The economic reper- sector in Kerala is already in deep trou- these are only estimates.
have manifested an incredible stoicism cussions of such crisis are immense ble. The rubber plantation has been suf- The actual value of loss can
and resilience to bounce back. Keeping and large number of small scale and fering due to cheap imports from South be higher.
aside grief and misery, Malayalis were medium scale industries have been East Asian countries. China has cut The tourism sector has
seen celebrating Onam (a 10 day long heavily hit. Besides the industry, the down the imports of rubber from these also endured the wrath of
harvest festival celebrated annually) trade (shopkeepers, vendors, and self countries creating a glut in the produc- nature as the landslides
in the flood relief camps. The ordeal of employed artisans and small distribut- er countries. The Tyre companies were and floods have caused
losing essentials and comforts of life ers) have met huge losses. naturally inclined to buy cheaper rub- extensive damage. The con-
did not dissuade them from welcoming ber. The rubber grower s are organised nectivity has been disrupt-
the King Mahabali, whose spirit, as per a but cannot exert pressure on the gov- ed and it may take time to • State loss The loss due to floods has been more than the Kerala’s Annual Plan
popular legend is said to visit Kerala at The psychological ernment to tweak policies in their fa- reconstruct the roads.
the time of Onam. vour. Close to 10 lakh small growers are The tourism sector is hoping to make report had proposed that an ecological are unforeseen; even though we are
Pinarayi Vijayan, the Chief Minister and emotional engaged in rubber plantations. This ca- up for some loss as the Neelakurinji crisis had been impending and several not prepared we need plenty of money
of Kerala had informed earlier that 483 deprivation in the lamity has accentuated their troubles. plants have bloomed this year. This areas in Kerala that fall under Western rehabilitation and reconstruction at the
people lost their lives in rain related Spice cultivation is strength of occurs only once twelve years in Mun- Ghats be classified as ecologically sensi- same time invest time and energy. The
incidents. Hundreds were admitted aftermath of floods Kerala’s agriculture. Cyriac added that nar in Nilgiri hills. This is expected to tive. The panel had advocated stringent environmentalists rightly say that the
to hospital, besides many reportedly cannot be measured spices producers have been facing stiff fetch domestic as well as foreign tour- curbs on mining and quarrying and on loss due to environmental degradation
missing. competition from the cheap imports of ists. The Kerala Travel Mart, a biennial use of land for non-forest purposes. is not quantifiable because not only one
The loss is colossal. According to the and is likely to Vietnam via Sri Lanka. Pepper import- event organised to promote tourism in Gadgil had reportedly indicated that but many generations of mankind have
Chief Minister of the state, the loss has remain seared ed from Vietnam is poor-quality. Under the state is also lined up in October and brazen exploitation of natural resourc- to pay the price for this.
been more than the Kerala’s annual SARRC agreement India can import the players in tourism sector expect to es in Western Ghats is purely driven by The laxity on the part of government
plan. The state’s annual plan in the fis- into the memories duty-free products from Sri Lanka. So do a brisk business. the greed for infinite profits. departments, as no preliminary tests
cal year 2017-18 was pegged at 26,500 of the victims for this window of opportunity has helped The intelligentsia in the state be- Even the international Community were conducted to examine the impact
cr. Later, it was claimed by the officials the importers and traders flourish at lieves that the crisis in the state would has evinced concerns over the envi- of opening and closing of dam shutters
that the damage caused due to the long time the cost of local pepper producers. have caused more havoc had the peo- ronmental degradation by rich and on the state rivers, took a toll on the
worst floods and landslides in a century Situation is bleak as one crop of pad- ple of state not displayed the excep- its consequences faced by the poor. lives and livelihood of so many inno-
is approximately 30,000 cr. A govern- dy has already been swept under floods. tional courage and sensitivity towards The United Nations Secretary General cent people. As per the reports, 35 out of
ment order said that the government Agriculture sector, which constitutes Paddy is cultivated in approximately one-another. The government machin- Antonio Gutters at the launch of the 54 dams were opened for the first time
department would not splurge on any the backbone of the state’s economy, 2.5 lakh hectare. The second crop can ery acts at its own pace but people rose 2018 New Climate Economy Report on that submerged vast areas and spelled
function for one year. The government has also been ruined with an estimated be sown only when water is pumped to the occasion. Thanks to education; 5th September cited the devastating doom on the lives of large number of
decree has refrained the departments 57,000 hectares of crops submerged. out of the fields to make the land ready people in the state have a higher social floods in Kerala as a call of the nature to people. Financial and material help
to host any functions that involve One crop is already lost and next is for sowing. consciousness to support each other, prevent climate change. is pouring in for the victims from all
expenditure and divert those funds on dependent on the timely pumping out The loss of the trade and industry is rising above vested interests. He was quoted in media reports say- corners but the injury and loss inflicted
flood relief and rehabilitation. of water from the inundated fields. being assessed by the government de- But why did we let it happen? Why ing, “Climate change is running faster on the lives of people is irreparable and
The water has started receding and The agriculture in Kerala is already partments and insurance companies. did we not pay any heed to the warn- than we are. The impacts are devastat- the painful memories of the deluge will
people have started returning to their in doldrums due to multiple reasons The Kerala Chamber of Commerce ing given by the noted ecologist, Mad- ing and it is usually the poorest and the remain seared into the memories for
homes from the relief camps. The psy- and the deluge may aggravate the exist- and Industry has also been aggres - hav Gadgil who headed the Western most vulnerable who are hit first and long time.
chological and emotional deprivation ing crisis. sively planning the course of action to Ghats Ecology Expert Panel set up by worst by storms, floods, draughts, wild-
in the aftermath of floods cannot be “The loss to agriculture is being as- revive the units damaged during the the Government? The panel in its 2011 fires and rising sea”. Natural disasters LETTERS@TEHELKA.COM

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