Did dam water mismanagement lead to Kerala's once-in-century floods?

The release of dam water is sharply criticised by some water management experts

Joby Pathrose, a farmer living a kilometer away from the usually languid Periyar river in southern India, was woken in the night by the sound of rushing waters. Hours later his plantations and everything he owned were completely submerged.

“There was absolutely no warning from the government side,” said Pathrose, describing the devastating flooding that hit his village of Okkal, in Kerala state, on Aug. 15. Pathrose says local authorities had advised his fields were safe, despite the incessant rains that battered Kerala at the peak of the monsoon.

More than 5 million people in Kerala were affected and over 200 were