Poonjar: Every natural disaster serves as a stark reminder that disaster management and resilience must become more community-driven, said Dr. S. Abhilash, Director of the Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Research at Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT).

He was presenting the keynote address on the topic "Extreme Rainfall and People-Centric Resilience Models for Survival" at a seminar organized by Poonjar Bhoomika.

Dr. Abhilash highlighted that even the most advanced scientific and technical knowledge remains useless unless accurate, real-time information reaches the last mile of society. He stressed the importance of issuing public advisories that combine early warnings with real-time weather trends. Furthermore, he urged local panchayats to give top project priority to sustaining and strengthening community-led initiatives such as the Meenachil River and Rain Monitoring Network.

The meeting was chaired by Poonjar Thekkekara Panchayat President Minerva Mohanan.

During the event, Alex P. Mathew presented an Automatic River Gauge worth approximately ₹3 lakh, donated to the Meenachil River and Rain Monitoring Network by Campbell Scientific India. In addition, Panchayat Presidents presented mementos to representatives of institutions responsible for maintaining the three Automatic Weather Stations installed by CUSAT in the high-range region.

The event saw addresses from Melukavu Panchayat President Binsi Tomy, Poonjar Panchayat President Subrahmanian Puthenkaippuzha, Poonjar Panchayat Member Ebi Kizhakkethottam, Melukavu Panchayat Member Jetto Padinjarepeedika, Talanadu Panchayat Member Vishnu, alongside Binu Perumana, Rahim Talanadu, Manoj Palakkaran, V.M. Abdullakhan, and Nandana. The program was coordinated by Dr. Baiju K.R., K.E. Clement, and Jojo Thomas.