KOCHI: During

, landslides, mudslips and flood hit hilly regions of

while roaring seas will throw life in the coastal areas out of gear. With this, the perception that Kerala is a totally safe zone seems to be a fable. However, there are comparatively safer places across the state and they have to be identified, said experts.

When tsunami hit Kerala coast, it was a shocker for the people here who hadn’t even heard of the word until then. Then, there was Cyclone Ockhi to remind the coastal people that their place is not safe. Until 2018 August, when flood hit Kerala, midland was considered a safe place. Hilly areas also were considered comparatively safe, though there were sporadic incidents of landslide and mud slip during monsoon.

“Though many places in the state are prone to

or flood, there are still comparatively safer areas. In 2009, we had conducted a study for identifying areas which are prone to various natural calamities. Then, we could outline a larger area in each district which are prone to the calamities like earthquake,” said John Mathai, scientist and senior consultant, Centre for Earth Science Studies (CESS).

“Now, we will have to conduct a detailed study which can pinpoint each survey numbers in a revenue village which are prone to calamities. Given the fact that we have identified a large area in each district which are prone to calamities, the next study should focus only on such areas and not the entire state,” he said.

The entire Kerala is included in Zone 3 of hazard map prepared by the Government of India. From

to Kasaragod, the entire states fall in the zone which is medium vulnerable to natural calamities like flood, draught and earthquake. The midland which is away from both hilly and coastal areas, will be safe only if it is devoid of the threat from flood passing down from the hilly region.

“The midland is considered to be flood plains of rivers. Rampant reclamation of paddy land and wetland has resulted to shrinking of flood pains thereby posing the threat of floods,” said G Shankar, architect and disaster management expert.

According to the greens, the threat from West (coastal area) and East (hilly region) will go up in the coming years. “The climatic condition we face now has been predicted years ago. We have to find a way out,” said environmentalist V S Vijayan.

According to Sekhar Kuriakose, member secretary, Kerala State Disaster Management Authority, there is a clear plan for evacuating people from an affected area in case of a natural calamity. “We have prepared a disaster management plan for each district. In case there is a dam break, the people in the area will be relocated to safer places in their neighbourhood. The district administration will give timely advice to the affected people in such situations,” he said.

“In case of opening of a dam, people living near river banks should relocate to high altitude places and away from the trajectory of flood in the previous years. In case of calamities like tsunami, authorities will issue warnings considering the magnitude of the calamity and the residents should move out according to their instructions,” he added.