Kerala floods force evacuations as heavy rains persist

Heavy rains across Kerala have caused widespread waterlogging, road inundation and riverbank collapse along the Chaliyar River, prompting authorities to open additional relief camps and evacuate residents from low‑lying areas in districts such as Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Kannur. The India Meteorological Department warned of continued heavy rainfall and strong winds, while the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services issued alerts for rough sea conditions along the coast.

The flooding has reignited debate over river management in the state. Environmentalists argue that deepening riverbeds will not reduce flood risk unless the natural flood‑carrying capacity is restored by reclaiming tributaries, protecting floodplains and removing upstream encroachments. Leaders of the Meenachil River Protection Council highlighted check dams and unchecked encroachments as contributors to the floods, while some local stakeholders claim that a ban on sand mining has reduced river capacity, allowing silt to accumulate.

The situation underscores the need for coordinated disaster response and long‑term river‑conservation measures to mitigate future flood impacts in Kerala.