KOCHI: “This delayed the opening of the Cheruthoni shutters,” he explained.
Muralee Thummarukudy, Chief of Disaster Risk Reduction in the UN Environment Programme, who had earlier said that the disaster management authority faltered in dealing with the situation due to lack of farsightedness, on Wednesday said it was time to focus on relief and rehabilitation activities.
Meanwhile, Jacob Jose, a former project manager at the Pallivasal Project who specialises in dams and infrastructure, said, “The stark difference between 1924 and 2018 is that in 1924 there were no dams constructed in Kerala, whereas in 2018, there are 82 dams in the eastern hill tracts, storing an enormous quantity of water. In most of the years when the rainfall is normal, these dams contribute to controlling the floods. But when the rainfall exceeds a certain limit, these dams simultaneously release a huge quantity of water, thus worsening the flood situation exponentially.’’