Malappuram: Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Monday said the Kerala government plans to introduce a comprehensive disaster management system with a precision warning mechanism to prevent unprecedented tragedies such as the flash flood in Nilambur and the landslip in Idukki.

Speaking to the media after visiting the T K Colony area of Kottappuzha, where five people were swept away in a flash flood on Sunday evening, Satheesan said it was a matter of serious concern that flash floods and landslips were occurring even without heavy rain in the immediate area.

He said the incidents highlighted the need for a precision-based early warning system capable of detecting even minor changes in weather conditions.

"The government has already initiated steps to introduce a comprehensive disaster management system with the support of the Centre and technical institutions such as the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIMK) and Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT). We aim to develop a disaster management system that can serve as a model for other states," Satheesan said.

The proposed system would provide timely warnings to people based on changes in weather and would also strengthen evacuation mechanisms, he said. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) would be prepared for different types of natural disasters, while district-level disaster management teams would coordinate the response, he added.

Satheesan said the spot near Nilambur where people were swept away on Sunday was not a declared tourist destination and, therefore, there was no official system in place to regulate visitors or prevent such incidents.

"After such places become popular through social media, people start visiting them in large numbers. We have decided to regulate the movement of people to such locations. The Malappuram District Disaster Management Authority has been directed to convene a meeting immediately and formulate measures to control visitors to such spots," he said.

The Chief Minister also said compensation for the families of those who died in the Nilambur and Idukki tragedies would be announced after the Cabinet meeting scheduled for Wednesday.

Industry Minister P K Kunhalikkutty, Revenue Minister A P Anilkumar, and PWD Minister P K Basheer also accompanied the Chief Minister

Meanwhile, the search for Sajitha, a resident of T K Colony who went missing after being swept away in the Kottappuzha River, continued on Monday. The search teams could not trace her, and the operation will resume on Tuesday morning.