https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Stronger The Challenge, Even Stronger The Tackle By This Kerala DC

Worst floods of the century controlled, First Corona hotspot defanged and Sabarimala protests having a nation-wide repercussions tackled. No difficulty seem to bother Pathanamthitta DC, PB Nooh too much.
Indian Masterminds Stories

Standing upright in the face of adversities defines a good administrator. The 2012 batch IAS officer, Kerala cadre, Mr. P. B. Nooh has amply demonstrated such qualities time and again. Be it combating the most devastating floods, Corona Virus, or Sabarimala agitation, he dealt with each issue as it came with a clear determination to conquer all the hurdles.

FIRST COVID HOTSPOT IN INDIA

Pathanamthitta was the first-ever Covid-19 hotspot in India, where Mr. Nooh was the District Collector. His quick decision-making quickly checked the spread of the virus. When the first three Covid cases came to light, he was quick to trace the patients and their primary contacts down, isolate them in hospitals and prepare an action plan by consulting several experts, all within a few hours.

Mr. Nooh inspecting the hospitals when Covid hit Kerala

An infected family returning from Italy and hiding its travel history caused panic in the state. but Mr. Nooh brought the situation under control. In an interview, he exclaimed “That was a scary moment. Until we set an action plan, I was a bit disturbed.”

He also set up a control room consisting of 50 young doctors and at the same time opened a call center where people could call to fulfill any medical requirement related to COVID or any other illness, and also gain non-medical help, in terms of food provision or ration, if needed.

Mr. Nooh discussing strategies to stop the spread of virus, with his team

STANDING TALL DURING THE SABARIMALA PROTESTS

Pathanamthitta being the gateway of Sabarimala shrine, was on the boil after the Supreme Court allowed the entry of women of menstrual age (10 to 50 years) in to the shrine, in 2018. Clash of ideologies subsequently resulted in massive protests. They were against the idea of the “banned” women entering the hill-top temple, believing that they might violate its purity. Thousands of protestors collected at the gate of Shrine at the time of its opening and the base camp of Nilakkal witnessed clashes between police and them.

The protests saw the clash between police and protestors

Mr. Nooh was again quick to make a decision. He immediately imposed section 144, which prohibits the gathering of four or more people in an area, in four regions close to the Sabarimala temple – Nillakkal, Pamba, Sannidhanam, and Elavumkal. Prohibitory orders were in force for two days. He made it very clear that there would be no hindrance in the way of peaceful pilgrims, but at the same time, no protest in the area will be allowed.

A HERO IN THE 2018 KERALA FLOODS

Mr. Nooh’s woes spilled over in 2018 as soon after his taking over as the DC, the state was hit with one of the worst floods. The low-lying lands of Pathanamthitta bore most aggressive wrath of the raging waters. But Mr Nooh led his team to rescue about 1.4 lakh people from the water- logged areas.

He worked along with Mr. Hari Kishore, a former District Collector of Pathanamthitta, and together they worked hard and stayed in the control room from 5 PM to 4 AM while taking quick real time decision regarding the plan mapped to safely rescue the residents.

Mr. Nooh addressing the relief workers

“The challenges were increasing at every moment. After getting boats, we thought we had won. But the boats remained in Lorries as the roads were damaged flooded. When the boats reached the river, they could not enter the water because of the cross currents. We missed a day! Then, when the boats entered the water, they could not go near many houses because of whirlpools. Helicopters could not pick up many people for various reasons like trees surrounding a house, old people unable to climb up the houses that did not have a roof top. It was not a resource crunch but practical difficulties that were a challenge for us” Mr Kishore said in an interview.

It rained for three days continuously. Mobile towers were damaged and the power supply cut hampering communication between Mr. Nooh and his team. They maintained their calm and kept on working without a minute’s rest. After all, the lives of lakhs of people depended on the decisions that they were making.

The residents and officials working like a team, during the floods

Mr. Nooh gives the credit to the entire state and believes that it was only because of great teamwork that everything became possible.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Haryana gov resized
Haryana Set to Promote Two IPS Officers to Director General of Police
Complaint
Complaint Filed Against Senior IPS Officer for Sending Inappropriate Messages
Jammu and Kashmir Government
Three IAS Officers Assigned New Postings in J&K; Check Names Here
IAS Officers Indian Administrative Services
Senior IAS Officer Rajendra Ratnoo Opts for Voluntary Retirement
SEBI
SEBI Appoints 3 New Executive Directors: Amit Pradhan, Avneesh Pandey & Sanjay Purao Take Charge
Lateral_entry_resized
No Reservation in Lateral Govt Job Entries, Centre Tells Rajya Sabha Citing Single-Post Rule
DelhiPolice
Top-Level Shake-Up in Delhi Police: 3 IPS Officers Reassigned Amid Security Concerns; Chahal Named DG, Civil Defence
mp
MP’s ₹3 Lakh Crore Infrastructure Boom: 255 km Greenfield Highway, ₹5,500 Cr Tiger Corridor Among Key Road Projects
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
Resisted Flawed Schemes, Transferred Thrice In Three Months, Found Solace In Writing
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
IAS SVR Srinivas on Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, Tough Calls, and the Real Power of IAS Officers | Video Interview
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
Dharavi Redevelopment: IAS Minds Turning 100-Year-Old Slum into a Modern City | Video Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IAS Minnu P M
“Lazy, Sleepy, Yet Determined”: Minnu P M’s Honest Take on Cracking UPSC
Minnu PM, once a clerk in Kerala Police, cleared UPSC with AIR 150 after five years of struggle. Her...
IPS Ashish Tiwari
From IIT and Investment Banking to Public Service, Meet IPS Ashish Tiwari 
Ashish Tiwari, IIT graduate and former investment banker, chose public service over global finance. As...
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-12 at 7.27
First Attempt IRS, Fourth Attempt IPS: The Relentless Pursuit of Jitendra Kumar Yadav Who Cracked UPSC 3 Times
IPS Yadav is originally from Chhattisgarh. He was first selected for the IRS through UPSC and later for...
Social Media
Masahiro Hara
From Go Board to Global Use, How QR Codes Changed the World: IRAS Officer Ananth Rupanagudi Spotlights Masahiro Hara’s Vision
IRAS officer Ananth Rupanagudi shared a video on Masahiro Hara, the inventor of QR codes, highlighting...
IFS Susanta Nanda Video
A Mother’s Duty: Tigress Watches Over Cubs Splashing in Waterhole — Heartwarming Video Shared By Retd. IFS Officer Susanta Nanda
A tender wildlife video shared by Retd. IFS officer Susanta Nanda shows a tigress keeping watch over...
Mohanmala
Kaziranga Mourns: Beloved Elephant Mohanmala Passes Away After Five Decades of Service
Kaziranga National Park mourns the loss of Mohanmala, a beloved elephant who served over 50 years as...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Puducherry
Scientific, Strategic, and Sustainable: How Dr Arulrajan is Transforming Puducherry’s Ecology
Haryana gov resized
Haryana Set to Promote Two IPS Officers to Director General of Police
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT