2018 Kerala floods were ‘man-made’ due to corruption: Kuzhalnadan releases Minister’s audio clip

Muvattupuzha: Mathew Kuzhalnadan, sitting Muvattupuzha MLA and UDF candidate, has released an explosive audio recording purportedly featuring Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty, alleging that the devastating 2018 Kerala floods were a "man-made" disaster driven by systemic corruption. According to Kuzhalnadan, the recording captures Krishnankutty detailing how irregularities and bribery during the tenure of then Water Resources Minister Mathew T Thomas led to the catastrophe.

The audio clip suggests that the Thottappally spillway, which should have been opened a month before the floods, was intentionally kept closed to protect a lucrative sandbank for a private contractor. Opening the spillway would have washed away mineral sand worth crores of rupees. The recording alleges that a Chief Engineer named Joshi, in collusion with sister of George Thomas (purportedly then CPM MLA) and Mathew T Thomas, delayed the opening to ensure the contractor could profit by at least ₹300 crore from the sand.

Further allegations in the recording indicate that water was illegally stored at the Maniyar project to benefit a private electricity company, resulting in an ₹8 crore profit for the firm. The subsequent sudden release of this excess water is cited as a primary cause for the destruction in areas like Chengannur.

In addition, the audio claims that water which should have been diverted to Tamil Nadu (up to 1,400 cusecs) was instead pushed into the Chalakudy river basin to protect a ₹200-crore construction project in the neighbouring state. This was allegedly done after the contractor bribed officials to prevent water flow from affecting their work. Kuzhalnadan concluded the press conference by using the Minister’s purported words to question how many crores this "idealistic" leader amassed at the cost of the lives and properties of the people of Kerala.