Kerala will develop an integrated disaster resilience project covering forecasting, evacuation and rehabilitation. The initiative aims to create a national model for protecting vulnerable communities from extreme weather.
Thiruvananthapuram,Oct 26, 2026 12:17 IST
The Kerala government will develop a Disaster Management Resilience Project to strengthen preparedness, improve early warning systems and reduce the impact of natural calamities, Chief Minister V D Satheesan said on Monday, 26 October, news agency Press Trust of India reported.
The project is intended to serve as a model for the country, given Kerala’s vulnerability to extreme weather events such as cyclones, cloudbursts, heavy rainfall and tsunamis, Satheesan said during Question Hour in the Assembly.
Citing a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, he said Kerala was a vulnerable region and that weather-related threats previously associated with the Bay of Bengal were increasingly being observed in the Arabian Sea.
“The Arabian Sea was generally calm, but it is no longer so. There is a possibility of a tsunami, cyclone, extremely heavy rainfall or cloudburst occurring at any time. We must consider Kerala a disaster-prone zone and act accordingly,” he said.
The proposed project will cover the entire disaster management process, from weather prediction and early warnings to evacuation, impact reduction and rehabilitation.
Although the India Meteorological Department issues weather forecasts, the government plans to integrate information from various systems and interpret forecasts more precisely to provide timely and effective warnings, he said.
The project will establish separate disaster management systems for each district based on regional risks, including coastal hazards, landslides in the Western Ghats, river flooding and dam management. The government plans to engage leading institutions, including IIT Roorkee and IIT Madras, as knowledge partners and has begun the necessary procedures.
Responding to a question on disaster preparedness, public awareness, volunteer training, artificial intelligence-based warning systems and river audits, Satheesan said financial constraints would not obstruct projects aimed at protecting lives and property.
According to PTI, Satheesan said Rs 4 crore had been allocated under the government’s 100-day action plan for five additional warning sirens and a fire alarm as part of the Wayanad siren network. The distribution of materials has been completed.
Nine coastal panchayats have been recommended for UNESCO’s Tsunami Ready certification. The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority, in association with IIT Ropar, has established 51 automatic weather stations, while Doppler radar has been installed in Wayanad district.
Under the Yuva Aapat Mitra initiative, 10,000 volunteers have been trained in rescue operations. A wildlife disaster relief centre has also been established.
The government has allocated Rs 3.53 crore for five additional warning sirens in Alappuzha and Rs 3.93 crore to improve disaster warning systems in Wayanad, Satheesan said.
Modern radar systems will also be established in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Kozhikode districts in association with the IMD. Vulnerable locations, including areas along the Chaliyar and Meenachil rivers and parts of Malappuram and Pathanamthitta districts, have been identified, and funds have been allocated for preliminary measures.
Satheesan also referred to the growing threats from climate change, rising sea levels and repeated flooding in coastal and inland areas. A pilot project involving river management experts is being implemented in Edavanakkad panchayat to address flooding.
The government is also planning to remove accumulated soil and silt from rivers and streams to restore their water-carrying capacity. Satheesan said silt deposited after the floods of 2018 and 2019 and subsequent rain-related incidents had reduced the capacity of rivers, causing flooding even during relatively light rainfall. The government will take steps to clear the accumulated material before the next monsoon season.
Specific standard operating procedures will be prepared for vulnerable locations, including areas where several people have died in floods. These procedures will set out the immediate response required during a disaster and define the responsibilities of officials and trained volunteers.
Referring to repeated deaths of fishermen whose boats were hit by high waves near Muthalappozhi in Thiruvananthapuram district, Satheesan said the government would take emergency measures to address the situation.
“The government does not intend to leave poor people and fishermen at the mercy of nature. Efforts will be made to rescue them and protect them from these threats,” he said.
The proposed project will combine forecasting, early warnings, evacuation, rescue and rehabilitation with district-specific systems, infrastructure upgrades, trained volunteers and measures to reduce flooding and other disaster risks across Kerala.
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