https://www.facebook.com/cpimcc/posts/kerala-chief-minister-gives-details-of-dam-management-in-response-to-certain-acc/1005317516306595/
Kerala Chief Minister gives details of Dam Management in response to certain accusations made by Congress and BJP
It is time, when not only Kerala but also the entire world is focussed on the flood relief rehabilitation process and reconstruction work in the State. Experts offer positive suggestions; people are doing whatever they can to help; and even foreign countries are offering financial aid.
However, in such a situation, the Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala has come forward to raise criticism. The government is not worried about any criticism. But, those who criticise must not just do it for the sake of criticising.
Opposition leader has made a number of criticisms. Those can be taken take one by one. Let’s look at its nuances.
Let me read a post by Ramesh Chennithala on Facebook on July 30 at 8.32 am. Ramesh wrote:
“Visiting Idukki dam. If the water rises over 0.36 feet, then the orange alert will be made. We must take immediate steps to alleviate the concerns of people. Opening of shutters has become inevitable.”
Three things are clear from this. One: Opening the shutter was inevitable. Two: At that point from blue alert was being moved to orange alert. Three: Ramesh Chennithala knew that blue alert was announced. Else he wouldn’t have talked about the orange alert. Ramesh’s Facebook post is the biggest proof of the alert.
On the night of August 14, 2018, Ramesh’s Facebook post says: “All preparations have been taken by the district administration and the District Disaster Relief Authority.” Ramesh, who said that the administration had done everything possible, is now saying that the dams were opened without any precaution.
On the same day at 8.59 pm, Ramesh has also written that the district administration had said that it would increase the quantity of water released. This is also proof that there have been notifications from time to time. Ramesh’s posts on Facebook itself are answers to Ramesh’s allegations. In such a situation, let's just say now that it is improper to make such baseless allegations, while the truth is in his posts itself.
The leader of the opposition said that in flooding in 1924 was a natural creation, and what happened in 2018 was a tragedy caused by the Government. The opposition leader’s statement was based on the fact that there was a bigger rainfall in 1924 than now. According to assessment, from 1 June to 20 August, Kerala got 2500 mm of rain and in 1924 the rainfall was 3368mm.
At first glance this figure seems to be true. But this is misleading. Ramesh’s estimate of 3,368 mm rain in 1924 is the total rainfall in the year, including the Monsoon and Thulavarsham. However, the rainfall is only about 2500 mm in 2018, which is just in one season. What is the point in comparing the whole year’s rainfall with just one season’s?
Even if Ramesh’s account is accepted, (i.e., comparing the whole year with just one season), the difference of rainfall is just 868 mm. In 1924 there was only one dam in Kerala. Today there are 82 dams in Kerala and of these 42 are major dams. The fact is that these dams could be managed effectively. That’s why accidents could be contained despite receiving heavier rain than 1924.
In fact, this time the rain was more severe than 1924. This must be seen along with the special nature of the rain. This time around, the rain was filling up more water in short period of time. In Idukki, after the first round of rains, from 26-07-2018 rain has been declining. The total rainfall which was 54.2 mm on 26.07.2010 declined to 6.2 mm on 28-07-2010 and 3.2 mm on 06-08-2018. On 07-08-2018, the rain was only 13.8 mm. This is why the shutters were not opened at that point.
But on 08-08-2018, the situation changed. The average rainfall was 128.6 mm. This continued on 9th and 10th. The rainfall, which abated a bit, went up to 295 mm by 16-08-2018. A third of the rainfall Kerala receives normally was received between four days from August 14 to 17. In Idukki this was 811 mm in four days. It was twice as usual. In Kaki, these four days saw 915 mm of rain. This was also twice the normal rainfall. This is how the water level went up unexpectedly and shutters were to be opened in a controlled manner.
The cause of flooding in Kalady, Perumbavoor and Aluva is not just because of the water from Idukki and Idamalayar dams. The actual reason flooding is not just the increased water flow caused by the opening of the dams, but also due to the increased water in the rivers due to the natural water that has flown through the river without any restraint. If these things are understood, how can someone say that this is tragedy caused by the government?
The flooding of Achankovil Aaru caused flooding in Pandalam. The water that submerged Thiruvalla is the water from Manimalai Aaru. There are no dams in these two rivers. What is the logic behind the argument that the opening of dams caused flooding?
The flood in Pala was caused by the water from Meenachal Aaru. The flooding in Nilambur is the due to the water in Chaliyar. There are no dams in Meenachal Aaru and Chaliyar either. Then how can this argument be sustained?
Across Kerala, there were floods, landslides and other disasters. This is due to the widespread rain and not because of the opening of damns.
Ramesh said that the government erred in the management of dams and that the dams were opened without any warning.
Flooding is not because of the water from the dams. Didn’t flood occur in 1924, when Kerala had just one dam? This time, from August 1 to 19, a total of 758.6 mm of rainfall was received. During this time, the average rainfall normally is 287.5 mm. This year, in these days rain was 164 per cent more than the usual.
From August 9 to 15, the additional rainfall received was 617 per cent in Thiruvananthapuram, 438 per cent in Idukki, 246 per cent in Pathanamthitta and 527 per cent in Kollam. Apart from the dams that are opened every year, in all other dams water is released only after precise warnings like blue alert, orange alert and red alert.
Some dams have to be opened every year as even little rainfall causes increase in water levels. At these dams, the process followed is that the revenue authorities are informed and the rate of water flow rate is adjusted depending on the water level. Since, the people are aware of this and this is an annual practice, blue, orange and red alerts are not issued. It has not happened before and now.
The major dams are Idamalayar, Idukki, Pamba-Kaki-Anathodu dams. These dams have been opened this year after proper warning as prescribed. In Idukki, the prescribed norm is that blue alert is issued when water level reaches 2,390 ft, orange alert at 2,395 ft and red alert at 2,399 ft.
This time in the case of Idukki damn, blue alert was issued on 26-07-2010 and orange alert on 30-07-2018 and red alert on 09-08-2018.
In the case of Anathodu-Kakki, blue alert was issued on 29-07-2018, orange alert on 31-07-2018 and red alert on 08-08-2010. In the case of Pampa blue alert was issued on 17¬-07-2018, orange alert on 26-07-2018. On 30th July, 2010, the water level dropped and the orange alert was removed. After water started to go up, orange alert issued again on 09-08-2018. However, the water again increased and the red alert was issued.
In the case of Idamalayar, blue alert was issued on 25-07-2010, orange alert on 01-08-2018 and red alert on 08-08-2018. This is officially documented. There have been widespread publicity about this in the media. If only enquired with officials or editors of media, Ramesh Chennithala would not have to make such accusations.
Another complaint is that the Banasura Sagar Dam in Wayanad was opened without warning
Banasura Sagar dam is one of the dams that are opened every year and without any warning. It is never opened with any alert. This time, the dam was full in the second week of July, due to the heavy rains in June and July, and was opened on 15-07-2018. The dam was opened till 05-08-2018. People are aware that this dam is opened this way at this stage.
Therefore, no accidents have been reported at these stages. Dam shutters were closed on 05-08-2010 following a relatively low water flow. But on 06-08-2010, there was massive raining and the entire reservoir level was filled by the morning of 07-08-2010. It happened in about 10 hours.
On the morning 6.30 on 07-08-2010, the shutter of the dam was opened to flow water out. As Ramesh says it wasn’t done at night without anyone’s knowledge, but was done at 6.30 in the morning. As the rain intensified, the shutters had to be raised eight times. That is how there was increased water flow from Banasura Sagar.
Banasura Sagar is a dam made of sand. This dam does not have any facility to store water above the full reservoir level like the other dams. In Idukki, the full reservoir level is 2,403 feet. And storing water up to 2,408.5 feet is not a problem. In the case of Banasura Sagar, there is no other option than to drain the reservoir if water reaches the full reservoir level.
Another allegation by Ramesh is that simultaneous opening of all 44 dams without any warning has caused the flooding. Other allegations of the opposition leader is that 9 dams of Pamba were opened together, and 11 dams in Idukki and Ernakulam districts, and six dams in the Chalakudy river were opened together. And the Government had no clue about the placed that would flood and would submerge under water.
There are two major reservoirs connected to the Sabarigiri project at Pampa -- Pamba and Kaki-Anathodu. The rest are small dams. These small dams are opened every year. With the dams filling up, following increased rain fall on 8th, 9th and 10th, to avoid other accidents, these dams were opened with alerts as prescribed by the law.
That all of these warnings were met fully proves that the government had a good idea about this. People living on the banks of these rivers were informed about the overflowing of rivers and were advised to relocate. The situation of opening of Idukki-Idamalayar dams together was also averted due to the availability of precise information. The opposition leader’s accusation that all dams were opened together is baseless.
Sholayar and Perungalkuttu dams in Chalakudy river are under the control of Kerala. Both are small dams and these overflow every year. This time, water flow increased as a result of heavy rains. Also with water coming from Tamil Nadu’s Sholayar Dam and Parambikkulam, the low lying areas of Chalakudy were flooded. That is what happened.
In the press release, the opposition leader accuses that there was no warning about the massive flooding in places like Kalady, Perumbavoor, Paravoor, Vaikom and Panthalam in Ernakulam district.
All the places, pointed out by the opposition leader, warning was issued about rising water level on July 26th, when the preparations were on for the trial run of the Idukki project. Thereafter, at various stages of alerts regarding Idukki-Idamalayar dams and also ahead of the opening of the dams, warnings were given. Steps were taken to relocate people from the banks of the rivers. The opposition leader conveniently forgets about posting on Facebook that all warnings were given.
Another accusation by the opposition leader is that trial run was not conducted in Idukki dam even after 2,397 ft.
The government had taken all steps to conduct a trial run in Idukki at 2,397 ft. But, before that water filled up at Idamalayar and the dam had to be opened on 8-08-2018. It was on 08-08-2018 that the water was reached at 2397 ft in Idukki dam. With an opened Idamalayar dam, opening of Idukki would have caused massive destruction. The trial was postponed on the basis of this review. One cannot call in postponing as it was done the next day itself. There is no need to portray it as postponing.
Leader of the Opposition says that there were differences of opinion between the water resources minister and the electricity minister on this issue. This can happen only his imagination.
“Only when the water level reached 2,398.98 ft, the Government gave its permission to raise one shutter by 50 cm and by that time, it was too late and situation was out of control, and the water level reached 2,400.1 ft,” says the statement by the opposition leader.
The water level was 2,397 ft on 08-08-2018 noon. It is the opposition leader who says that the next day it went up to 2,400.1 ft and subsequently became uncontrollable on August 10th. He has the precise information about it. This proves that the rain, which was not there till 08-08-2018, poured down in one go continuously and caused the flooding. Ramesh says on Facebook that the water level was below orange alert on 30-07-2010. The water level has been receding after that.
The water level which was falling till 07-08-2018, increased on 8th, 9th and 10th. Opening of Mullaperiyar dam on 15-08-2018 and the heavy rain on 16-08-2018 caused massive increase in the water level. No one could have foreseen this. Yet, the Government intervened cautiously, warning was given, people were relocated, and restricted the water flown out of the dam by blocking more than half of the rainfall in the dam itself.
Ramesh says that during heavy rains in 2013, there was no need to open the Idukki dam as water level was kept low by the early opening of small dams in anticipation of rain and generating additional electricity in Idukki.
In 2013, the Monsoon was normal. During that time period, water level did not increase in Idukki dam. The water level rose during the Thulavarsham. Even in that rain fall, when the water level reached 2,403 ft, that is the full reservoir level, the situation didn’t warrant the opening of the dam. The rain was so less. That rain came in Thulavarsham . After that it is Summer.
The BJP leaders are also saying what Ramesh says. Therefore, no separate answers are given to the two groups. This is a combined answer to both.
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