The Central Water Commission’s (CWC) findings that the recent flood in the State were caused by heavy rain and not the release of water from dams have justified the State government’s stance on the issue, Water Resources Minister Mathew T. Thomas and Power Minister M.M. Mani have said.
Addressing a joint press conference here on Friday, the Ministers said that the CWC report had concluded that the State received heavy rain similar to the one in 1924. The rivers in the State could not contain the heavy inflow of 2,250 cumecs of water and that led to the flooding, they said.
The CWC has also observed that the State does not have reservoirs that could control flood and proposed dams in the Achencoil and Meenachil rivers for storing water. Storage of water in the State should be improved to control floods, the commission has said.
The government machinery under the leadership of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was able to efficiently coordinate the flood-relief activities at various levels.
Baseless campaign
The campaign that the floods were a disaster made by the government was unfounded, they said.
The State had 82 dams. Most of them were opened in June itself, but not simultaneously, they said.
The shutters of all the major dams such as Malampuzha, Peechi, Chimmony, Kallada and such others under the Water Resources Department and Idukki, Idamalayar, Pampa, Kakki, Anathode and such others under the Power Department were opened after issuing adequate warnings. But the shutters of minor dams were usually opened without such warnings. Still the district administrations concerned were alerted, they said. The allegation that the government ignored the IMD warnings too were baseless since no warning of extremely heavy rain was given, they said.