KOCHI: A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court has directed the state government and Kerala Dam Safety Authority to take all possible remedial measures for managing reservoir outflow in the state during extreme rainfall and monitor it regularly.
The court passed the directive while disposing of a petition filed by Muhammed Afiffi of North Paravur and one of the victims of the 2018 floods. According to C Ajith Kumar, counsel for the petitioners, the failure of the government, irrigation department and the KSEB in releasing water from reservoirs without conducting a proper study and the impact of opening of dam shutters without following the norms of Central Water Commission had resulted in the 2018 floods, causing threat to the lives of citizens and damage to property.
The KSEB had denied allegations that it did not take steps to bring down the level of water in dams and that was with the sole intention of reaping maximum profit by generating more power. The KSEB also denied the charge that it failed to open dam shutters in time Scientific flood mapping of rivers was not the responsibility of the Board, but of the Central Water Commission. As an operating agency, the Board had published an emergency action plan in respect of dams operated by it, the KSEB said.