Kerala plans AI-backed disaster system tailored to sudden weather shifts

The Kerala government will launch an AI-backed disaster management programme with advanced forecasting and flood mapping. The plan also links dam desilting, river audits and encroachment checks to stronger flood preparedness.Citing Odisha’s success in disaster management, Chief Minister VD Satheesan said Kerala should bring about a similar transformation.Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan on Wednesday said the state would roll out an AI-backed disaster management and resilience programme, which he said would be among the country’s most effective. He said the system would be designed for Kerala’s unique topography and would strengthen early warning systems for sudden weather changes.Citing Odisha’s success in disaster management, Satheesan said Kerala should bring about a similar transformation. He said the state would build one of the country’s most advanced weather forecasting systems with the support of globally renowned climate and disaster management experts, while also taking up flood mapping to identify disaster-prone areas.Referring to Odisha, he said official figures showed that thousands of people had died in the devastating 1978 cyclone. But through effective disaster management, the state brought down the death toll to just two during a cyclone a few years ago, he said. Kerala, too, should achieve such a change in the way it handles disasters, he added.As part of the proposed programme, the government would undertake desilting of dams and remove accumulated silt, sand and waste from rivers and other water bodies to improve their carrying capacity and reduce flooding. Alleging that no desilting exercise had been carried out since 2018, Satheesan said silt and debris had built up in riverbeds, reducing their water-carrying capacity. “It will lead to flooding or waterlogging even during moderate rainfall,” he said. Satheesan said the government would not wait for another flood to act and that urgent desilting work across the state would begin once the monsoon subsided. He said directions had already been issued to the Revenue and Water Resources departments.He also announced that an AI-driven dam management system would be introduced as part of the disaster resilience initiative, with a team of eminent disaster management experts assisting the government in implementing the programme. The Chief Minister further said a land audit would be carried out to identify encroachments along riverbanks as part of efforts to reduce disaster risks and improve flood management.- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Aug 5, 2026 16:14 IST