Severe Rainfall and Flooding Disrupt Life in Kerala, Prompting Alerts and Cautionary Measures
Heavy rainfall in Kerala has significantly disrupted daily life, particularly in central and northern regions. The southwest monsoon, which had been intense for several days, is expected to weaken soon. However, on June 16, various areas experienced extreme weather conditions. For instance, Thennala in Malappuram recorded 21 cm of rain within a 24-hour period, while other locations like Vadakara and Bayar saw substantial rainfall as well.
The heavy rains led to flooding that submerged roads and vehicles. In response to rising water levels in rivers across the state, authorities issued orange and yellow alerts for several rivers, advising residents near these banks to exercise caution. Gusty winds accompanied the rain; Idukki recorded wind speeds of up to 80 km/h.
Train services between Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram were temporarily disrupted but were fully restored by the following morning. The India Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for Kannur and Kasaragod due to anticipated very heavy rain on Tuesday, along with a yellow alert for isolated heavy rains in other districts except for Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, and Kottayam.
Residents are encouraged to stay updated through local authorities or emergency services for the latest information regarding weather conditions and safety measures.
Original article
Bias analysis
The provided text on heavy rainfall in Kerala, India, appears to be a neutral report on the weather conditions, but upon closer examination, several biases and manipulations become apparent.
One of the most striking biases is the cultural bias rooted in Western worldviews. The text assumes that readers are familiar with the concept of "orange" and "yellow" alerts issued by authorities, which are typically used in Western contexts. This assumption reinforces a Eurocentric perspective and may alienate readers from non-Western cultures who may not be familiar with these terms. Furthermore, the use of these terms to describe weather alerts creates a sense of familiarity and normalcy, which may downplay the severity of the situation.
The text also exhibits linguistic bias through its use of emotionally charged language. Phrases such as "extreme weather conditions," "gusty winds," and "flooding that submerged roads and vehicles" create a sense of drama and urgency. This language manipulation serves to grab the reader's attention and emphasize the severity of the situation, rather than providing a neutral or objective account. Additionally, the use of words like "heavy rains" and "substantial rainfall" creates a sense of magnitude that may not be entirely accurate.
The narrative bias in this text is also noteworthy. The story structure presents a clear cause-and-effect relationship between heavy rainfall and flooding, which reinforces a simplistic understanding of natural disasters. This framing ignores more complex factors that contribute to flooding, such as infrastructure weaknesses or environmental degradation. Furthermore, the text focuses primarily on human impact (e.g., disrupted daily life) rather than exploring broader environmental or ecological consequences.
In terms of selection bias, certain facts are included or excluded to direct the narrative towards emphasizing human suffering rather than environmental concerns or infrastructure issues. For instance, while train services were temporarily disrupted due to flooding, this fact is presented as an inconvenience rather than an opportunity to discuss broader transportation infrastructure challenges or climate resilience strategies.
Structural bias is also present in this text through its implicit defense of institutional authority (e.g., authorities issuing orange alerts). The narrative assumes that authorities have adequate knowledge and control over natural disasters without questioning their capacity or limitations. This reinforces existing power structures without critically examining potential flaws in emergency preparedness systems.
Confirmation bias is evident when sources are cited implicitly through phrases like "the India Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert." While this statement provides information about official warnings issued by experts within India's meteorological department (IMD), it does not critically evaluate their credibility or potential biases within Indian meteorological discourse.
Finally, temporal bias manifests itself through presentism – focusing primarily on immediate consequences (e.g., disruptions) without exploring historical context (e.g., climate change patterns) or long-term implications for Kerala's ecosystems.
In conclusion, while this text appears neutral at first glance due to its straightforward reporting style regarding heavy rainfall in Kerala's central regions during June 16th 2023; upon closer examination various forms linguistic cultural structural confirmation framing selection temporal biases become apparent .