For 49-year-old Jayachandran, who sells fish for a living in the hilly region of Cheruthoni in Kerala’s Idukki district, the day starts well before dawn. He leaves home in his mini auto and waits for the fish supply that arrives from Kerala’s coasts. He then drives around Cheruthoni and neighbouring areas, selling the fish door-to-door. Over 10 years, Jayachandran saved bit by bit to build a modest home for his family of four.

The small family’s happy days did not last long, though. In 2018, one of the most devastating floods of the century hit Kerala. Unprecedented rainfall within a short span forced the government to open multiple reservoirs in the state. When the floodgates of the Idukki dam — one of the highest arch dams in Asia — were opened, the gushing water swept away several houses downstream along Cheruthoni town. 

Jayachandran’s house, about 500 metres away from the river, was one among the houses that were washed away. “I stood there, watching the efforts of my toil crumble to the ground. That was a harrowing experience,” recalls Jayachandran. Straying off course, the river also destroyed the main road which connects Cheruthoni to the rest of the district.

According to CEEW analysis, Idukki received 60 per cent more rainfall in August 2018 than the average over the last decade.

Having received prior warning from the authorities, Jayachandran and his family had already vacated their house. They spent the following days in a relief camp. Once the camp was dispersed, they were put up in the abandoned quarters of the state electricity for a few months. 

In a precarious position, with all of his life’s earnings lost, Jayachandran refused to give up. Some respite arrived when the state government offered INR 1 million to buy land and build a house as part of the flood rehabilitation project. Jayachandran scouted for suitable land, which was approved by the Assistant Engineer of the Panchayat. With the government’s financial assistance, combined with his hard work and help from friends and relatives, Jayachandran built a two-bedroom house.

“The authorities conducted an inspection and certified the land as not landslide-prone,” says Jayachandran. Given that government-assisted housing mandatorily requires building a pucca house, Jayachandran and his family now feel more secure. 

“If I look around, there is no hillock to slide over us. The house is not situated on a slope that could slide away,’’ says a confident Jayachandran. He adds that the family can now stay indoors safely, even on stormy and rainy days. 

Having faced such turbulent times, Jayachandran and his family are now slowly rebuilding their lives. His story highlights the need for climate-proofing infrastructure, especially in ecologically fragile regions such as hill stations and coastal regions. India should integrate data on climate risks in its existing and planned infrastructure to minimise economic losses due to climate change.