Congress legislator V.D. Satheesan has urged the government for an independent investigation into the role of dams and reservoirs in triggering the floods that ravaged the State in August.
In a letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, he also demanded an inquiry into whether the early warnings about dam-induced floods were taken seriously by the authorities concerned.
Mr. Satheesan, who represents the Paravur constituency, one of the worst flood- affected areas in the State, said the investigation would help the government identify and rectify the faults and ensure better preparedness in dealing with similar situations in future.
“As an MLA and one among the millions of people affected by the flood, I feel it is important to investigate what happened at the dam sites on the crucial days during the floods and between August 14 and 18 in particular, to get a real picture of the role of dams in the disaster,” he said in the letter.
He said it would be necessary to gather evidence from the staff at each dam or downstream regulator site such as spillway gate operators, security personnel, overseers, engineers and flood victims. It also stressed the need to collect the data on rainfall, dam inflow, spill discharge and gate operation and record the statements of witnesses along the course of the river.
Mr. Satheesan said the investigation was necessary to understand the inadequacies in the operational and logistical facilities at dam sites. He highlighted the need for the probe team to be organised on a river-basin level to understand the upstream- downstream linkages, especially in the Bharathapuzha, Chalakudy and Periyar basins with upstream dams operated by Tamil Nadu.
“The investigation should shed light on the gate operation manuals of each dam, inundation maps, emergency action plans, functioning of emergency control rooms and the warning system,” he added.