Recent rains in southern side of India caused lots of loss to human life and property. Losses are unavoidable when there is very heavy rain. Swift rescue and relief alone are indicators of a good government. These words are intended to normalise a human-made disaster, and gloss over the pathology of urban development under successive administrations. It is quite usual for politicians and civic officials to blame so-called unprecedented rains for the civic and humanitarian crisis each monsoon brings, and decouple development from disaster. The cyclone wrecked havoc on South Kerala with severe damage to coastal areas and has endangered lives of fishermen operating at sea for the livelihood. Lakshadweep also suffered in property and many deaths occurred. Five bodies were recovered from the rain water submerging the human. The relief operations faced lots of problems as rain continue to cause havoc with heavy winds uprooting trees and house tops. People suffer for ever in the after effects of windy rains.
M R Jayanthi
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
