Kerala Floods: High Court Closes Suo Moto Case Over Dam Water Level Regulation, Takes Note Of Steps Taken By State For 'Monsoon Preparedness'

The Kerala High Court has closed its suo moto case initiated in 2020 for safety evaluation of dams, monitoring dam shutters and regulating dam water levels in the State, in light of frequent flooding.While doing so, the Division Bench of Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice S. Manu took note of various steps implemented by the State government since 2020, to ensure better management of monsoon in the State.The State government has undertaken to enhance early warning systems, utilize technology and implement the Kerala Warnings, Hazards, and Crisis Management System (KaWaCHAM) to improve disaster preparedness.Court stated “The State has also stated that for monsoon preparedness in 2025, the State will continue these efforts, specifically focusing on enhancing early warning systems and leveraging technology for timely data analysis. KaWaCHAM integrates five geospatial data sources, hazard maps, and climate scenarios to provide risk knowledge, as well as real-time monitoring from sensors, weather forecasts, and telemetry stations for accurate warnings. The system will facilitate multi-channel alert dissemination. KaWaCHAM will be connected to the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC), 14 District Emergency Operations Centres, and 78 Taluk Emergency Operations Centres through a secure VPN, ensuring real-time communication and coordination among all relevant departments. We take these commitments on record.”It noted that the State has implemented various other plans for monsoon preparedness such as: Multi-level pre-monsoon review meetings They are held annually at three levels. First level meeting is chaired by Chief Minister, with the Minister for Revenue, all District Collectors, and heads of relevant departments for reviewing disaster preparedness of each departments to ensure co-ordination. Second level meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary with departmental heads and District Collectors to review detailed plans. Third level meeting chaired by the State Relief Commissioner with District Collectors, department heads, and central forces such as the Indian Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, BSF, CRPF, ITBP, and CISF. Third level meeting is to finalize preparedness strategy and to ensure readiness for emergency deployment.Rule Curve Monitoring Committee meetingsCommittee led by the State Relief Commissioner with representatives from the Kerala State Electricity Board and the Irrigation Department to regulate water levels in dams and reservoirs. It allows for the assessment of water levels in dams, helping to identify potential emergency scenarios and coordinate responses effectively.Coordination meetings with the Central Water CommissionCoordination meetings with central water commission, chaired by Chief Engineer of the Cauvery and Southern Rivers Organization to support flood forecasting. Special urban flood management meetingsOfficials plan and review flood control measures in like Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram. Emergency control rooms, public campaignsEmergency control rooms operate at State, district and local levels to manage disaster response during monsoon. They collect analyse, and share information with relevant agencies for co-ordination and timely action. Disaster preparedness through public campaigns are promoted using TV, radio, social media. Additionally, local meetings are conducted focusing upon flood risks and safety measures. Orange Book for Disaster Management – 2Orange Book gives guidelines for monitoring water levels in dams and rivers and issuing warnings at the district level. It gives out detailed procedure for issuing yellow, orange alerts and blue alerts. It specifies roles and duties of relevant authorities. It states that Central Water Commission is monitoring water levels in rivers across the State at 38 locations and shares flood probability analysis. Kerala Water Resources Information SystemDeveloped by the State irrigation department to monitor rainfall, rain forecasts, and water levels in rivers and dams. A map is also created showing potential flooding areas in the State. The Court has also granted liberty for filing PILs' by public spirited persons and organizations, if further directions are necessary in public interest. As such, the suo moto petition was closed. Case Title: Suo Moto v State of Kerala Case No: WP(C) NO. 10543 OF 2020Citation: 2025 LiveLaw (Ker) 123Click here to Read/Download Order

Kerala Floods: High Court Closes Suo Moto Case Over Dam Water Level Regulation, Takes Note Of Steps Taken By State For 'Monsoon Preparedness'

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