Has the handling of two back-to-back floods and landslides in Kodagu aided the administrative machinery to deal with the situation resulting from COVID-19 pandemic?
Kodagu reported its first COVID-19 positive case on March 19 and there had been no cases after that. The lone patient was also discharged recently after he successfully recovered. Kodagu is now technically free from COVID-19.
Locals lauded the district administration for its handling of the current crisis, which reminded them of the situation arising from the worst-ever floods and landslides Kodagu witnessed in its history.
Perhaps, the experience the authorities had and the lessons learnt from 2018 and 2019 disasters could have come in handy to deal with the state of affairs ensuing from the lockdown to combat the pandemic.
Floods and landslides had been unprecedented and the people of Kodagu haven’t fully overcome from the consecutive tragedies. The livelihoods of a large number of people was affected.
The lessons learnt from the disaster management could be many. This was evident when Kodagu was hit by calamity again in 2019. Though last year’s devastation was equally large, the authorities, however, claimed they had better prepared to handle the tragedy as they could correct themselves (wherever necessary based on the past situation) and handle the calamity with better preparedness.
From the office of Deputy Commissioner in Madikeri till the village panchayats even in the remotest corners, the message was loud and clear – to provide rescue and relief and rehabilitation to the flood victim – at all costs.
The coordination that was displayed in handling the crisis last year was notable with the elected representatives, elected bodies, and the officials working together as teams to manage the disaster.
Importantly, the district administration also came up with the District Disaster Management Plan for bringing into effect preventive and mitigation measures whenever deemed necessary, and chalked out an action plan for the reconstruction and rebuilding of Kodagu.
The “template” of handling the disasters and whatever was learnt from the experience apparently came in handy in tackling the pandemic, with the district administration working and coordinating with the police, health and other key departments for halting the contagion, like during the floods.
Assistant Commissioner Jaware Gowda, who was part of relief and rescue operations, said: “Two calamities in 2018 and 2019 were effectively handled and we knew how to respond during emergencies. Now, there is a health emergency and we made use of the experience for handling the current pandemic situation. The coordination among all departments was very good and this was useful for enforcing the lockdown, besides reaching out essentials to the needy.”
Mr. Gowda added, “Since the deluge, the teams that worked from the district level to panchayat level continue to serve the district. The lessons learnt from floods and the rapport among the key departments, besides the database of volunteers helped us in enforcing the guidelines required for the present situation.”
The same teams aided the health authorities in tracing and placing the people in quarantine and ensuring supplies of essentials to the remotest corners of the district, complying with the orders passed by the Deputy Commissioner as and when required.
In the forefront of the battle against the pandemic
Three top women officers are leading from the front the fight against COVID-19 in Kodagu.
Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy, Superintendent of Police Suman D. Pennekar, and zilla panchayat Chief Executive Officer K. Lakshmi Priya, who were active when Kodagu was devastated by floods and landslides, last year, are once again in the vanguard in the campaign of #KodaguFightsCorona.
In fact, Ms. Pennekar was serving the district when Kodagu witnessed unprecedented floods and landslides in 2018. Ms. Srividya P.I. was the Deputy Commissioner during 2018 floods.
They used to visit the affected areas together to know the situation and provide relief.
In the fight against COVID-19 pandemic, the district administration, the district police, and the zilla panchayat are again in “battle mode” like how they worked in handling the flood rescue and relief operations in the district.
