“There are people trying to create confusion over the report. It is the courts which have to adjudicate on the issue. Those creating confusion are trying to derive political mileage during election and people realise their actual motive,” he told reporters here.
He said people who tried to block local, national and international aid to the state in its rebuilding efforts are behind the allegations. “The amicus curiae’s role is limited to providing legal aid to the High Court to collect information. It need not have a bearing on the verdict. The court can accept or reject the report,” he said.
Pinarayi said the rescue and rehabilitation work carried out by the state was lauded across the globe. “Experts from IIT Madras, Central Water Commission and the UN agencies. who looked into the causes of the flooding, stated it was due to unprecedented rainfall which resulted in the rivers bursting their banks,” he said.
Hence, the management of dams cannot be blamed for the devastation. Also, people were warned well in advance of the impending rain havoc. Pinarayi said the government is weighing the CWC recommendation on setting up route curve for dams to manage water during floods and building dams across the Pampa, Achankovil, Chalakudy and Periyar.
A politically-motivated report, says Kodiyeri Balakrishnan
PATHANAMTHITTA: CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan on Thursday said the Amicus Curiae report on the flood was politically-motivated and ill-timed. Kodiyeri told reporters instead of submitting the report to the High Court, the motive behind making it public was with vested interests. Expressing doubts over the objective behind making the report public during poll time, the credentials of the Amicus Curiae were suspicious, Kodiyeri said.
He said the CWC report and the Centre’s report clearly indicated the flood of August was due to heavy rain. Countering the point against the report, Kodiyeri said releasing water from dams under the Kerala State Electricity Board and Irrigation Department started way back in June. Making the argument clear, the CPM leader said the floods of 1924, the worst ever before the latest 2018, was caused by heavy rain and there was hardly any dam then.