Heavy Rain And Flooding: Why Is South India Bearing The Brunt Of Extreme Weather Conditions?

A new low-pressure area has been formed in the Arabian Sea, which in the next few days is predicted to cause widespread heavy rains across Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka.

The low-pressure area was formed under the influence of a cyclonic circulation over the southeast Arabian Sea now lies over east-central and adjoining south-east the Arabian Sea off Karnataka-north Kerala coasts.

AP

This is the eighth low-pressure area to be formed in the sea in the past 47 days, which is unprecedented.

The forecast of more rains in the coming days is more bad news for the states that have been left battered by heavy downpours and floods in the past few days.

Incessant rains

Kerala and Tamil Nadu have been particularly badly hit by unprecedented rains which is unusual for this time of the year.

In Kerala alone, in the past 45 days, 833.8 mm rains were recorded, which is the highest on record.

The normal average rainfall from September to October 15 is 407.2 mm. There is a departure of 105 per cent this year.

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Pathanamthitta district received 194 per cent extra rain during this period, followed by Kannur, Kasaragod, Kozhikode districts showing 127, 116 and 111 per cent large excess departure.

On Sunday, the eastern part of Kollam district received heavy rainfall with the weather station at Punalur recording 11.7 cm rain in the last 24 hours. This resulted in the swelling of major rivers and streams in the region affecting the areas of Pathanamthitta and Kollam district downstream towards the west.

Reuters

Climate change

According to meteorologists the unprecedented rains this year which began well before the scheduled arrival of the annual monsoon on the Kerala coast on June 1, is a sign of climate change showing its impact.

They have pointed out that both the water and surface temperature of the Arabian Sea has risen from the normal of 27 degrees to up to 29 degrees, which is causing the frequent formation of low-pressure areas and cyclonic circulations, resulting in heavy rains.

They have also warned that this could be the new normal for Kerala in the coming years.

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The three southern states are part of the Western Ghats, an extremely fragile ecosystem that also includes parts of Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Recognised by UNESCO as one of the worldĄ¯s eight most important biodiversity hotspots, Western Ghats contains more than 30 percent of all species of plant, fish, reptile, amphibian, bird and mammal found in the whole country.

The chain of mountains cover an area of around 140,000 sq. km. in a 1,600 km long stretch that is interrupted only by the 30 km Palghat Gap.

western ghats

The ecosystem has been under threat due to rising human activities over the past few decades and many ecologists have warned that the Western Ghats have already been damaged beyond reversal due to deforestation, mining, etc.

It is estimated that the Western Ghats has lost 20,000 hectares of its area over the last 17 years because of deforestation. And such massive scale degradation of forests can have a major, long-lasting impact on the environment.

Due to this, the effective strength of the Western Ghats has lessened, causing erratic and unpredictable patterns to monsoon rains.

Reuters

A 2019 study by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) had found that there was a direct relationship between deforestation in the Western Ghats and the massive floods in Kerala and Karnataka in 2018.

Urgent steps needed

Last month, eminent ecologist Madhav Gadgil had said that things are as he urged the people on the "grassroots" to "sufficiently pressure" the elected representatives to take measures to end disasters in areas along its traverse including Kerala.

He is also the author of the report prepared by the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), the most comprehensive study undertaken on the ecology of the region and the impact of its destruction.

The report authored by Gadgil panel and submitted to the Union Environment Ministry 10 years ago (in August 2011) has recommended protection of Western Ghats by designating the entire hilly region as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA).

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However, the report did not see the light. Instead, the central government in 2012 formed a working group on Western Ghats under Indian space scientist K Kasturirangan to examine the Gadgil Committee report.

The Kasturirangan panel submitted its report to the Environment Ministry reducing the area to be protected ecologically in Western Ghats to only 37 per cent.

While the governments have dragged their foot, Gadgil has repeatedly warned that the aftereffects of the destruction of Western Ghats will become clearly visible in a few years, and not decades.

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