KOCHI: An expert has attributed unmindful quarrying, paddy field filling and deforestation among reasons for fast flooding in the state.
Environmental scientist Dr C.M. Joy said that forests were key to percolation and seeping of rainwater into the earth and unmindful deforestation and mining and encroachment have devastated this system.
“We haven’t gone for compensative afforestation after our forests were cut to construct 80 dams. We also filled paddy fields, groves, wetlands and marshy lands, kole fields and ponds apart from encroaching into rivers.
When the flow of the rivers is disrupted in this fashion, flooding easily occurs,” said Dr C M Joy.
He said that we had no problem in creation of cities on flood planes of rivers and then clamouring for rescue in times of floods. “There is unmindful sandmining also from rivers. Uncensored quarrying has contributed to landslides. In the coastal and mid lands, construction of buildings and roads has also prevented seeping of water into earth,” said Dr Joy.
“This is the time we should think of how to prevent flash floods that occur at the drop of a rain drop! It is high time we constructed canals to release flood water fast. There can be pumping mechanism as well. In canals and sub-canals, the old ‘pettiyum parayum’ system should be introduced. The dams should be opened at the time of low tide and closed at the time of high tide,” said Dr Joy.
He also said that all types of quarries should be stopped in the rainy season. They should be controlled after that. There should be proper calculation about the flood plane level when dams are opened and people should be evacuated in advance.
