Kerala Gears Up for Early Monsoon with Urgent Pre- Season Preparations

Thiruvananthapuram: With the southwest monsoon expected to reach Kerala by May 27, earlier than the usual onset date of June 1, the state government has moved to fast-track all pre -monsoon preparations. A high-level meeting held at the Chief Minister’s conference hall reviewed the current level of readiness and directed urgent action across departments.
Chaired by Revenue Minister K. Rajan, the meeting was attended by cabinet ministers, district collectors, and senior officials. It focused on accelerating pending pre-monsoon works and ensuring that all government agencies are fully prepared to handle the challenges of the upcoming season. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that the monsoon could arrive ahead of schedule, marking the earliest onset over the Indian mainland since 2009, when it arrived on May 23.
Minister Rajan instructed that district-level meetings be held by May 20 to formulate region-specific action plans for dealing with possible monsoon-related disasters. Local bodies have been directed to update the list of residents in disaster-prone and landslide-prone areas and collect their mobile numbers to ensure timely dissemination of alerts.

To enhance disaster response capacity, the meeting called for training programmes at the district and taluk levels, along with the formation of a volunteer force in collaboration with the Kudumbashree network. A separate disaster management plan will be prepared for tribal hamlets to ensure their safety during adverse weather events.
Special review meetings will be held monthly from June through September, chaired by the respective district minister or district collector. The Chief Secretary, Dr. Jayathilak, will oversee coordination at the state level, while district collectors will manage efforts locally.
Minister Rajan emphasised the importance of seamless coordination between departments and agencies from the ward level to the state level to ensure an effective and timely response during the monsoon.