Wayanad: The Wayanad District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), which faced flak for delay in timely evacuation of people prior to the devastating landslide in 2024, is better equipped this time with new weather monitoring systems, public interaction WhatsApp platforms and early weather warning systems.

The DDMA has installed as many as 200 new rain gauges in the district to ensure the timely assessment of rain received in a particular area. Thus, the total number of rain gauges catering to the weather information network in the district has become 250. The move aims at ensuring foolproof rain data collection at the micro-level, with a focus on ecologically sensitive spots and making it available for the officials at all levels through the WhatsApp group.

The DDMA installed the rain gauge systems with the help of the Hume Centre for Ecology and Wildlife Biology. The Hume Centre already has an established network of more than 200 manual weather monitoring systems across the district.

In 2024, when the 24-hour rainfall of all landslide-prone zones crossed the 200 mm mark, the District Emergency Operating Cell (DEOC) was alerted for further action a day in advance. Still, nothing happened apart from a vague warning message on news channels that too was aired late at night. 'Humes' Centre had also warned of possible calamities in the landslide-prone zones of Puthumala, Mundakkai, Punchirimattam, Chooralmala, Thettamala, Kappikkalam and Thondarnad.

 In 2019, when a major landslide hit the Puthumala, about a few kilometres away from the Mundakkai, the region received more than 800 mm of rain. Early evacuation had saved many lives then. 

District Panchayath President Samshad Marakkar, who is also the vice chairman of the DDMA, said the weather monitoring system will be functioning with the technical support of 'Humes Centre'. "The WhatsApp weather tracking system of DDMA, which has more than 225 members now, also would be modelled on the existing Humes' platform," he said.

“The district with unpredictable weather patterns needs more micro-level monitoring systems for speedy information dissemination and timely precautionary measures. The expertise of NGOs, individuals and institutions in weather monitoring and tracking would be utilized till a foolproof official system of DDMA gets developed," he added.   

According to DDMA officials, the rainfall received at each location would be transferred to the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority website. The system will also analyse the rainfall data and issue warnings to panchayaths that received high rainfall with an AI-powered warning system. If a particular region receives more than 600 mm of rainfall continuously, the region would be declared a landslide-prone zone, and precautionary measures would be initiated, including the evacuation of the public from such spots.