People’s action to tackle climate change: 1,400 tidal flood maps being readied in Ezhikkara panchayat

Thanks to efforts by voluntary groups backed by government agencies, a bottom-up, decentralised, democratic, and people-oriented approach has emerged at the centre of discussions among people who live in the most vulnerable areas

Homes like the one in picture are under constant threat of flooding in the Vellottupuram area of Puthenvelikkara panchayat in Ernakulam

The epic floods of August 2018 is not a distant memory. It remains a danger in its many incarnations - short, intense spells of localised rain, tidal flooding, billowing sea and coastal erosion. The top-down approach to shield lives and property and ensure a sense of safety among those who bear the brunt of such phenomena has not been effective.

Thanks to efforts by voluntary groups backed by government agencies, a bottom-up, decentralised, democratic, and people-oriented approach has emerged at the centre of discussions among people who live in the most vulnerable areas.

“People’s voices must be heard. We have so far followed the top-down model without listening to the people who suffer the most,” say sources in a voluntary agency involved in the efforts.

In a recent series of efforts, volunteers in the flood-prone Ezhikkara panchayat has taken up tidal mapping with the support of agencies such as Equinoct and M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, the Ernakulam district panchayat and the District Disaster Management Authority. The Tata Institute of Social Sciences is also involved in the activities.

Over the last seven months, around 1,400 maps have been prepared, marking the days, spread and level of tidal waters in Ezhikkara panchayat. The data will be compiled and made available to planners. Local residents, students, members of Kudumbashree Mission, scientists and researchers are involved in the efforts.

The drive follows close on the heels of a decentralised rain mapping effort in Puthenvelikkara panchayat, where around 20,000 homes are under constant threat of inundation. The Vellottupuram area in the panchayat was virtually flooded throughout the year, sources added. As many as 22 rain gauges have been set up as part of efforts to map the rain.

The Ezhikkara panchayat has witnessed a rise in tidal flooding in recent days. The number of days of flooding has increased, so has the intensity and spread. While tidal flooding affected homes mostly during the Malayalam month of Vrischikam (November-December) in the past, the phenomenon lingers into the month of May at present. Similar developments are being witnessed in about 20 coastal panchayats in the district. Those studying the phenomenon say that while sea level rise may be the cause of tidal flooding, it has not yet been declared a natural disaster.