Kerala govt to probe whether check dam triggered landslide

The Kerala government today said a probe would be conducted to ascertain whether a private check dam atop a hill was the cause of the massive landslide that struck Kattipara in Kozhikode district leaving 13 people dead.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan informed the state assembly that a panel had been constituted and it would soon submit a report on whether the collapse of the check dam had caused the destruction in the region.

He was replying to a notice for an adjournment motion by the Congress-led UDF opposition on the monsoon calamity and the allegation that the overflowing of the check dam and its impact had led to the devastation at Karinchola in Kattipara.

Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala alleged that the Kattipara incident was a "man-made-disaster" and the damage of the check dam, with a storage capacity of four lakh litres of water, had resulted in the "mammoth devastation" in the hilly region.

He also sought an explanation from the state government over the sanction given to set up the check dam in such a landslide-prone area.

Responding to the Opposition, the chief minister said, "a panel has been set up to probe the check dam issue.

"The committee comprises panchayat secretary, a geologist and officials of the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM)."