The amicus curiae appointed by the High Court of Kerala to assist it in a slew of flood related cases, has recommended appointment of an independent expert committee headed by a superior court judge to ascertain what caused the floods of August 2018 and to come up with recommendations for strengthening dam management.
In a report submitted to the High Court, Jacob P. Alex, amicus curiae, said that the formation of an expert committee consisting of hydrologists, dam management experts and engineers was essential in view of the severe magnitude of the flood.
He suggested that the expert committee could be asked to find out whether a sudden release of water from the dams during heavy rainfall had worsened the situation and whether flood control zones of each dam were maintained as per the the National Water Policy norms and guidelines of the National Disaster Management Authority. It could also look into whether timely alert had been issued about the release of water from dams.
