Latest news with #StateDisasterManagementDepartment
New Indian Express
08-08-2025
- Climate
- New Indian Express
Uttarakhand grapples with 18,464 disasters in nine years; averaging of over 2,000 annually
DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand is grappling with an alarming surge in natural calamities, experiencing an average of over 2,000 disasters annually. In the past nine years alone, a staggering 18,464 incidents have impacted residents across the Himalayan state, leading to significant loss of life and property from events ranging from cloudbursts to flash floods. The state's Disaster Management Department meticulously tracks a wide array of incidents, including road accidents, fires, landslides, earthquakes, floods, insect attacks, avalanches, heavy rainfall, lightning strikes, hailstorms, gales, drownings, wild animal attacks, cloudbursts, forest fires, disease outbreaks, and electrocutions. "We collect comprehensive data on fatalities, injuries, and missing persons, alongside records of partially and completely damaged homes," stated Vinod Kumar Suman, Secretary of the State Disaster Management Department. "Our figures from 2015 to 2024 indicate an average of 2,051 disasters occurring each year."
NDTV
06-08-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Heavy Rain Forces Kerala School To Declare Holiday, Roof Collapses Hours Later
Thrissur: A major tragedy was narrowly averted on Wednesday after the ceiling of an auditorium at Kodaly Government Upper Primary School in Thrissur collapsed -- fortunately, on a day when the school was closed due to heavy rains. No students or staff were present at the school due to the holiday. The incident occurred around dawn, when the gypsum board ceiling installed beneath a metal sheet roof crashed inside the auditorium where students typically assemble. The ceiling was constructed just two years ago, in 2023, at a cost of approximately Rs 54 lakh. According to local residents, structural issues with the school building had been flagged as early as a decade ago during its original construction. They also revealed that two months ago, during heavy rains, the ceiling had shown signs of bulging and damage. Despite repeated complaints, school authorities allegedly took no steps to repair or replace the ceiling, sparking strong criticism from the community. Soon after the incident, ward members and panchayat officials arrived at the school to assess the situation. The collapse has raised serious concerns over the quality of construction and oversight in public infrastructure projects, particularly those involving school buildings. Parents and local leaders are now demanding an immediate inquiry into the construction and maintenance of the school auditorium. Incidentally, this collapse comes a day after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan directed the State Disaster Management Department to identify and report all structurally unsafe buildings across the state, particularly in schools, hospitals, and other public institutions, within two weeks. The directive was issued during a high-level meeting convened to review the state's disaster preparedness and infrastructure safety. The main reason why Vijayan directed for action comes in the wake of the death of a 13-year-old student, Mithun, studying in Class VIII at Thevalakkara Boys High School in Kollam, which took place last month. He was fatally electrocuted while trying to retrieve a slipper from the roof of a cycle shed adjacent to his classroom. He slipped and came into contact with a low-lying three-phase power line, which led to the tragedy. The cycle shed was reportedly constructed eight years ago, and live power lines were passing above the roof of the shed. Then there was another incident at the Kottayam Medical College hospital when a lady who went to the toilet died when the block, which was reportedly closed, collapsed.
Hindustan Times
13-06-2025
- Climate
- Hindustan Times
Rainfall to revive in Arunachal after week of hot, dry conditions: Met dept
Itanagar, After a week of hot and dry conditions, Arunachal Pradesh is likely to receive a much-needed spell of rainfall across the state till June 19, the meteorological office here said on Friday. Weather activity is expected to intensify significantly from June 16 onwards, bringing scattered to widespread rain and thunderstorms to several districts, the State Disaster Management Department said in a statement. According to district-wise forecast, Tawang, Kurung Kumey, West Kameng, Papumpare, Namsai, Changlang, and Longding are likely to witness frequent and widespread showers on some days. Meanwhile, East and West Kameng, Kra Daadi, Kamle, and Pakke Kessang — regions that began the week with minimal or no rain — are expected to experience a marked increase in rainfall. Rainfall is also likely to pick up in Upper and Lower Subansiri, Siang, and West Siang districts, the statement added. The eastern and central belts, including Upper Siang, Dibang Valley, Lohit, and Anjaw, will particularly see a rise in rainfall between June 17 and 19. Residents in these areas are advised to remain alert to the risk of thunderstorms and lightning, it added. From June 1 to 11, the state recorded 81.7 mm of rainfall, 39 per cent below the long period average of 134.7 mm. The week between June 5 and 11 was even drier, with just 11.2 mm of rainfall, a staggering 88 per cent shortfall from the normal weekly average of 94.5 mm. While rainfall from June 13 to 19 is still expected to remain below normal at 53.7 mm, the situation is projected to improve significantly in the subsequent week. Between June 20 and 26, rainfall is expected to exceed the average, reaching approximately 130 mm compared to the normal 106.5 mm, it said. Temperature patterns have reflected the dry weather. Over the past week, maximum temperatures were above normal in several parts of the state. On June 12, the maximum temperature in Itanagar touched 39.7 degrees Celsius, 7.8 degrees above normal, while Pasighat recorded 38.6 degrees, 7.6 degrees above average. These unusually high readings are largely attributed to weak monsoonal activity, dry continental easterly/northeasterly winds, and clear skies that allowed higher solar insulation, the statement said. The forecast suggests that daytime temperatures may continue to rise 2–3 degrees Celsius above normal in many areas over the next 24 hours, resulting in hot and humid conditions, especially across the plains. However, maximum temperatures are likely to return to near-normal levels as the rain sets in. Minimum temperatures will remain normal to slightly above normal through the forecast period.
Scroll.in
29-05-2025
- General
- Scroll.in
Kerala declares Kochi shipwreck a state-specific disaster
The Kerala government on Thursday declared the wreckage of the Liberian-flagged container ship, which sank off the Kochi coast a state-specific disaster. As interim relief, affected fishermen will be given Rs 1,000 and 6 kg of rice, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was quoted as saying by PTI. The vessel, MSC ELSA-3, carrying 640 containers capsized on Sunday, about 15 nautical miles southwest of Alappuzha. It was carrying 13 containers with hazardous cargo and 12 of calcium carbide. All 24 crew on board the vessel were rescued. The ship was on its way to Kochi from Vizhinjam, the defence ministry said. The shipwreck poses a potentially serious threat to Kerala's coast environmentally, socially and economically, The Hindu quoted Tinku Biswal, principal secretary of the State Disaster Management Department as saying in a government order. The incident raised environmental concerns, including the risk of oil spills and drifting debris along Kerala's 640-km coast, Biswal added. The order permits the State Disaster Management Authority to mobilise resources, including personnel and significant sums of money from the State Disaster Response Fund for relief efforts. So far, at least 54 containers have washed ashore: 43 in Kollam, nine in Thiruvananthapuram and two in Alappuzha.
The Hindu
29-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Kerala government declares Kochi shipwreck a State disaster
The Kerala government has declared the wreckage of the Liberian-flagged cargo ship, MSC ELSA-3, which sank 14.6 nautical miles off the coast of Kerala on May 24, a State-specific disaster. Tinku Biswal, Principal Secretary of the State Disaster Management Department, stated that the shipwreck posed a potentially serious threat to Kerala's coast, both environmentally, socially, and economically. Ms. Biswal stated in the government order that the maritime incident had raised serious environmental concerns, including the potential for oil spills and drifting of debris, including cargo containers, in the littoral waters abutting Kerala's 640 km coastline. The order permits the State Disaster Management Authority to mobilise resources, including personnel and significant sums of money from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), for expeditious relief efforts. The container ship, which had set course for Kochi from Vizhinjam, foundered after encountering heavy weather 38 km southwest of its port of call. A perilous combination of heavy seas, possible hull leakage, mechanical failure and perhaps unbalanced cargo reportedly caused the ship to list heavily before capsizing and sinking. The Coast Guard rescued the ship's crew, comprising up to 21 individuals from various nationalities, including Russia and the Philippines. The Customs department verified the ship's cargo manifesto. It said the sunk vessel threw 640 containers, including 12 containing hazardous incendiary material, overboard when it flipped over. Thus far, at least 54 containers have washed ashore on the beaches of Kollam (43), Thiruvananthapuram (9), and Alappuzha (2). Nevertheless, flotsam from damaged containers battered by the high seas off Kerala's coast could wash up on the southern beaches of Kerala. Piles of minute plastic and polythene granules washed ashore on the Thiruvananthapuram coast, raising the spectre of enduring microplastic pollution. The government has enlisted volunteers and launched a beach cleaning programme.
