Kerala Flood: Rebuilding and rehabilitation efforts are underway in Kerala after floods
The immediate crisis-management for Kerala floods over, the opposition Congress has attacked the Left government, alleging that mismanagement of the dams led the devastating floods that claimed more than 250 lives in the state. Calling the floods a man-made disaster, Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala demanded a judicial investigations into the decisions taken.
The opposition contends that had the water from dams be released a couple of months earlier, the flood could have been averted. Greed, they said, led to mismanagement and the guilty must be punished.
The Kerala State Electricity Board, which manages dams in Kerala, has denied any wrongdoing. "There is no greed involved in not releasing waters," officials of the Electricity Board said, adding that the decision was taken in consultation with officials of the disaster management team.
The floods started two weeks ago, when waters had to be released from the Idukki dam after it filled to capacity. Over the following weeks, as the state grappled with torrential rains, waters were released from 80 dams, flooding areas downstream. Within days, 13 of Kerala's 14 districts were struggling to keep their heads out of water.
Around 1 million people were forced to leave their homes - many of them did not have any home to get back to. Besides houses, a huge portion of the state's infrastructure -- roads, bridges, rail tracks -- has been wiped out. Standing crops in the fields have also gone.
The state government says the rebuilding will take at least two years. It is yet to put a figure to the amount of money needed.
(Kerala has to rebuild itself after the worst floods in over a century. Hundreds have died and lakhs are homeless. Here is how you can help.)