The State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) has warned of the possibility of landslips and debris flow in the hill districts in the early phase of the southwest monsoon this year. The tremors unleashed by the two earthquakes in Nepal and the intense summer rain during the three months from March could have loosened the soil in the hilly areas, creating conditions conducive for landslips in June-July, a review meeting convened by the State Relief Commissioner here on Wednesday was told.
The SEOC has written to District Collectors to be vigilant against natural hazards from the onset of the monsoon. “It is unusual for landslips to occur during the first phase of the monsoon. But according to inputs from the National Centre for Earth Science Studies, the Nepal quakes and the heavy summer rain this year could have created unstable slopes in the hilly areas,” says Sekhar L. Kuriakose, head, SEOC.
According to the disaster outlook prepared by the SEOC for the monsoon season from June to December 2015, despite predictions of a deficient monsoon this year, there is a possibility of intense rainfall and consequent calamities. The District Collectors of Alappuzha, Kottayam, and Thrissur have been directed to be prepared for flooding in Kuttanad and the Kol lands of Thrissur from mid-June to August.
The Principal Secretary, Local Self-Government, has been directed to hold a videoconference with secretaries of City Corporations, chairpersons of municipalities, and presidents of district panchayats on pre-monsoon preparedness.
