This refers to “The Kerala havoc” (August 20). The editorial rightly highlights how man-made factors have contributed to this calamity. Environmentalists often caution authorities about the dangers of deforestation, reckless construction activity by the land mafia and quarrying. These destroy the natural drainage channels and harm the water bodies. We have seen how this double whammy caused flooding in Chennai, Mumbai, and Uttarakhand in recent years.
Flooding in Kerala was forecast years ago but officials, in nexus with builders, continued to sanction construction projects without taking the topography into account. But those environmental violations from the past have left the state
