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Communist Government’s Lapse In Dam Management Worsened Kerala Floods: Kerala HC Appointed Amicus Curiae
The Idukki dam in Kerala. (Rameshng via Wikimedia Commons)
In a major setback to the Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala, the amicus curiae appointed by the Kerala High Court in flood cases, today (3 April) filed a report stating that a lapse in dam management had caused severe damage in the floods in Kerala last year, reports Mathrubhumi.
The report submitted in the high court suggests that the dams were not operated as per the rules. It also questions the reports filed by the state government, the Kerala state electricity board (KSEB), and the dam safety authority over the failure to address this point.
It further says that no effective precautionary measures were taken by the authorities especially in evacuating people and relocating them to safe locations. No follow up actions were taken after the red alert was issued, Mathrubhumi reported.
A 49-page report submitted by amicus curiae Jacob P Alex has also demanded a judicial probe to find out whether the opening of dams without proper adherence to guidelines and warnings led to the severe flood damage.
The reports said that the state government failed to take Meteorological warnings seriously and did not properly prepare to deal with the heavy rains.
Many petitions have been made in the Kerala High Court alleging state government’s lapse in managing the floods as a result of which the High Court appointed an amicus curiae to investigate the matter.
Also, a report by the Central Water Commission had earlier pointed out that the dams were full on the eve of the torrential rains.
The National Aerospace and Space Administration (NASA) also in a report had held Kerala’s dam management responsible for the severe floods in August 2018. Simultaneous opening of big dams of the likes of Idukki accentuated the intensity of the floods, said NASA.
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