Kerala’s 2018 monsoon season has brought with it some of the worst rains in almost a century, with people crushed by debris and pulled underwater.
An environmental chain reaction has meant that alongside the intense rain, there is a great risk of mudslides.
This year’s intense rains echo the devastating impact of another natural disaster, the great floods of ’99, which killed more than 1,000 people.
As airports remain closed and people struggle to escape the heavy rains, there is a question of whether it is safe to travel to India.
Is it safe to travel to India?
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At the moment, the raging monsoon waters are threatening widespread catastrophe in Kerala, and people are being warned off travel.
One of Kerala’s main airports, the Cochin International Airport, is now closed, cutting off some access to Kerala’s major city of Kochi.
Flooding of the operational area and heavy rains have meant the airport is to close until August 18.
In the meantime, planes will be diverted to the Thiruvananthpuram and Calicut airports to ensure costs are not disproportionately raised.
Suresh Prabhu, the Minister for Civil Aviation, took to Twitter to assure nearby citizens that help would still be available.
He said: “The Ministry of Civil Aviation and the domestic airlines will be extending full support to the State Government of Kerala in airlifting food items and other relief material free of cost on their scheduled services, subject only to operational constraints, if any.”
The Foreign Office has however issued a warning to the general public in the UK, advising caution for those travelling to India.
The foreign office has touched on the state of Kerala infrastructure, noting that rains are cutting off roads and tracks.
There are also warnings for the south and west of Tamil Nadu districts on the Kerala border, with Kanyakumari, Nagercoil and Tirunelveli under threat.
Government warnings mainly advise that traveling to these areas involves taking great care.
The Foreign Office advised for people to “closely monitor travel advice and media reports and follow the advice from local authorities.”
Aside from the flooding however, the FCO has completely advised against travel in the immediacy of the India-Pakistan border.
The full warning reads: “The FCO advise against all travel to Jammu and Kashmir with the exception of (i) travel within the city Jammu, (ii) travel by air to the city of Jammu, (iii) travel within the region of Ladakh.
“The FCO advise against all but essential travel to the city of Srinagar and travel between the cities of Jammu and Srinagar on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway.
“The tourist destinations of Pahalgam, Gulmarg and Sonamarg fall within the areas to which the FCO advise against all travel.”
These warnings are due to possible terrorist attacks rather than the flooding, which are dangerous and unpredictable.