Rebuilding After Devastating Floods: Kuttanad’s Maanathara Library and Flood-Proof Structures Rise Again

 

The Maanathara library at Champakulam in Alappuzha district faced a significant loss of rare collections during the 2018 deluge. After nearly five years, the reconstruction works have finally concluded, and the building was inaugurated on Monday. However, the transformed library is now entirely different from its pre-flood state.

Visitors are now greeted by staircases leading to a raised foundation platform before accessing the floor area. This change reflects the evolving construction style in Kuttanad, where residents have been grappling with recurring flash floods every monsoon since the devastating 2018 deluge.

“The library is reconstructed in a flood-proof manner after it was badly damaged in the 2018 floods. Many prominent personalities, like the chief secretary Dr V Venu, were members of this literary treasure trove. However, a lot of rare books were destroyed back then. The floor area is now above the level where floodwaters enter during the monsoon season,” explained Ajith Kumar Pisharath, a member of the Champakulam block panchayat.

This flood-proof construction approach is now being adopted throughout the region, whether in the newly constructed Edathua police station or private buildings. The aim is to create flood-proof houses and structures, safeguarding against future disasters.

This transformation is not limited to the library alone but extends to various new structures in low-lying Kuttanad. “The newly-built structures all have unusually high foundation platforms. The upcoming sub-centre of the panchayat office, the government school building, and the newly constructed houses in the area all follow this style,” emphasized M C Prasad, the Kainakary grama panchayat president.

Kuttanad, one of the most vulnerable regions to the climate emergency, has experienced severe flooding during monsoons since 2018. The aftermath of heavy rains for a two-week period resulted in Pamba, Manimala, and Achankovil rivers breaching their banks downstream, partially damaging over 180 houses and completely destroying three others.