Data and dams: How Kerala cracked flood management

In 2018, Kerala saw one of the worst floods in its history. Heavy monsoon rains, coupled with overflowing reservoirs killed hundreds and displaced thousands of people. Monsoon rains are not a new phenomenon for Kerala, but what threw Kerala's flood management department off in 2018, was the fact that it was still raining in August, by which time the rain's intensity should have subsided. In 2022, the rainfall followed a near identical pattern. But this time, the State analysed flood and dam data, and revamped their management strategies, preventing another monsoon catastrophe. 

In this podcast, The Hindu analyses weather patterns and dam management data. We also speak with James Wilson, who heads the Kerala State Electricity Board Limited's Reservoir Monitoring Cell, about what went wrong in 2018, and what was done instead, this year.