Kerala, India’s Climate of Uncertainty

It seemed to happen in an instant. One night last August, Philip M.J. was speaking with his wife, Lissy Das, swapping stories, talking about the children, praying. The next, before he could react, Lissy was swept away right before his eyes. Lissy died in a landslide in the village of Tinoor in the Thamarassery district of northern Kerala. A few months later, Philip remains in shock and traumatized.

The trials of life

“It had been raining heavily for three days,” he recalls. “There was a sense of foreboding. When we prayed that night, we were scared. We said to each other, ‘Let’s just leave everything to God.’ ”

Later that night, Philip and Lissy were awakened by what sounded like a howling wind. Philip thought of making his way out to see what was going on. But he had no chance. “Out of nowhere, mud and boulders smashed through the house,” he says. “The force carried Lissy out, along with the bed. That was it.” Lissy’s body was found two days later, a mile from her home.

A parish holds a funeral in August 2019 for community members who perished in the flooding in Kerala; photo: CNEWAPhilip had tried to make his way out, but the mud had blocked all the exits, leaving him buried under the rubble. “I tried desperately to call out for help. None came,” he says. “So I used my fingers and nails to scrape myself out. It was a will to survive.”

Philip shows us his hands. His fingers and fingernails are a mess, the tips of his fingers blackened from the effort to make it out alive. There are bruises on his arms. He has a dislocated shoulder. Three months on, his body has not yet healed. “Lissy and I both could have been dead. But I am still here. This is God’s grace.”

But the blessings from God endure

When he smiles, Philip looks younger than his 53 years. His eyes light up when he talks about his children — a 23-year-old son and a 21-year-old daughter, both studying in college. “Fortunately, the college is funding their education now,” he says. “There’s no way I can work and support them.” Philip’s relatives have been kind enough to put him up, giving him a place to live until he can rebuild.

Through all this, Philip’s faith remains strong. “God saved me for my children. There was no other reason for me to survive,” he says. “I have to get my daughter married yet.”...

The Church helps us recover

Such outcomes encourage the Rev. George Chemparathy. “It is amazing to see that even in the toughest of times, people don’t lose faith. They remain faithful,” he says.

Frs. George Chemparathy and Matthew Thakidiyel survey damage in Vilangad; photo: Sajeendran V.S.The assistant director at the Centre for Overall Development for the Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Thamarassery, Father Chemparathy is responsible for visiting those impacted by natural disasters, such as the floods and landslides of the last few years. With the help of the parish priest, the Rev. Matthew Thakidiyel, Father Chemparathy checks on parishioners even after they have moved, offering not just financial aid, but also emotional and spiritual support...

In 2019, at least 121 people in Kerala died as the state faced devastating rains, floods and landslides for the second straight year. More than half a million people in the state were forced to evacuate their homes. The number of dead in 2018 was nearly 500; the damage to property and people was estimated at $5.8 billion. The United Nations General Assembly announced solidarity with India as the floods wreaked havoc in Kerala.

Climate change and gross neglect equal disaster

An Indian government report put the unprecedented rain down to the impact of climate change. The report also says Kerala should be prepared for more similar events in the future.

According to Viju B. — metro editor of the Times of India in Cochin, whose book, “Flood and Fury: Ecological Devastation in the Western Ghats” investigates the causes of the floods — the reason for floods and landslides in Kerala is simple: human interference.

Ambika V. collects water outside of her home in the Palakkad region of Kerala; photo: Sajeendran V.S.“It’s down to cutting off the hills to construct roads, coffee plantations and houses, [as well as] quarrying and mining. Yes, climate change is a factor,” he adds, “but gross neglect of the environment can’t be ignored either.”

In a report that came out 17 months before the state’s 2018 floods, the Kerala Forest Research Institute warned of the devastation that could be caused by excessive rain. This report estimated that there are about 6,000 quarries in the state. Most are close to drainage networks and near epicenters of earthquakes recorded in the past. “Quarries destroy much of the ecosystem around them. In hilly areas, which make up half of Kerala, they destabilize fragile environments,” the journalist reports. “Even in the toughest of times, people don’t lose faith.”

...The Catholic churches have been playing a big part in helping Kerala cope with the situation. Parishes around the state have been collecting funds and donations from parishioners to keep flood victims safe in camps and to help rebuild their lives, giving them opportunity to start again. In some cases, the churches have taken the lead in constructing houses outright, because most people cannot go back to the homes they lost.

Omana Appu and her husband stroll down a dirt path near their home; photo: Sajeendran V.S.Parts of northern Kerala are considered vulnerable and are on high alert. This is the new reality that the local churches are gearing up to face. Syro-Malabar Catholic Bishop Mar Remigiose Inchananjal of Thamarassery says this kind of rainfall and flooding in Kerala two years in a row is peculiar. Yet, his eparchy is making ready.

“We’re planning to conduct seminars and bring in experts to help us,” he says. “We’re also encouraging people to plant more trees and bamboo to help the environment in any way we can.”

So far this year, the Eparchy of Thamarassery has collected nearly $500,000 for flood relief. “This money will go towards housing, agriculture and to help people get back on their feet,” Bishop Mar Remigiose says. Officials of the eparchy are also helping neighboring churches, Eastern and Latin, with fundraising efforts...

The floods of the last two years have tested the people of India. But through indomitable faith, and the support of the strong community of love in India’s churches, tragedy can bring to light an even greater hope. “We’re hoping (Kerala) will adopt more environmentally friendly practices,” Father Mavunkal says. “We can’t afford to be ill-prepared for a situation like this again.”

(Reprinted with permission from CNEWA, ONE Magazine)