In a grim reminder of 2018’s devastating Kerala floods that caused heavy damage to life and property, the southern state of India is yet again reeling under torrential rain and an ensuing landslide and severe flood situation. So far, 155 casualties have been reported and 32 people are missing. At present, there are 58 functional relief camps across the state, sheltering over 3000 people. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for excessively heavy rains in nine districts of Kerala including Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur, Kasaragod, and Wayanad. Out of these, Wayanad, Malappuram, Kottayam and Idukki continue to be the worst affected regions till now.

The 2018 Kerala floods left the state more prone to natural disasters like earthquakes. Out of the 43 dams and reservoirs located in the Western Ghats, 21 are now highly prone to reservoir-induced seismicity (RIS) or tremors. After the devastating floods of 2018, a geological study of the Western Ghats suggested highly deformed folds and faults in their structure. These cracks are said to be active in nature and can make flooding a recurring phenomenon in Kerala.

Over 7 lakh people have been impacted by the destructive flood in Maharashtra. So far, over 240 casualties have been reported and more than 1, 00,000 hectare agricultural land has been severely damaged. More than 2 lakh households are facing shortage of electricity and water supply systems in over 400 villages has been partially or completely disrupted. Kolhapur and Sangli districts are hit the hardest and have faced large-scale devastation by Maharashtra floods, impacting over 760 villages in 68 talukas of the two districts.

While heavy rainfall is a major reason behind Maharashtra floods, questions are also being raised about improper and ineffective flood management system in the state. Disasters like these are aggravated by water release from overflowing dams. Three of the biggest dams in Koyna, Radhanagari, and Warna regions of Maharashtra were already 100% full by the time floods hit the region. South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP) conducted a study of the Krishna River Basin to understand the root cause of the floods in 2019. The assessment showed mismanagement on releasing water from various dams, worsening the situation in Kolhapur, Sangli and Satara districts of Maharashtra.

As per the Central Water Commission live storage data, no water was released from the Radhanagari dam and Koyna dam even when they were full by 80% and 50%, respectively. By this time, the floods had already hit Maharashtra but no preventive measure was taken to reduce the possible magnitude of destruction.

Floods have impacted 17 districts, 86 talukas, and 2217 villages of Karnataka. While over 6 lakh people have been executed till now, 12 continue to be missing. The state is facing an estimated crop loss of over 4 lakh hectare agricultural land with the worst affected districts being Belagavi, Bagalkot, Dharwad, and Kodagu. As of now, the preliminary estimated flood related loss in the state calculates to about INR 10,000 crore. Over 41,000 houses have been damaged and more than 90 casualties have been reported so far in Karnataka.