Mumbai: The flood that wreaked havoc in Kerala could be a preview to a similar disaster in-waiting in several cities and town of Maharashtra, where heavy rainfall, poor dam management and encroachments together could lead to a repeat of July 26,2005, experts claimed.
Maharashtra has a total of 3,264 dams and it could be vulnerable to devastating floods and cities like Mumbai, Thane and Nanded at risk due to unchecked urbanisation and inept flood control measures.
“Incessant rain is the primary cause for any floods. However, the underlying fact is it is a manmade disaster and a calamity of priorities”, said Dr Sudhir Bhongle, an expert on water and flood management.
Dr Bhongle said the government has been focusing on construction of large dams while ignoring the key aspects of dam management and taking up water-shed development programmes which will in the long run protect the cities from flooding and massive soil erosion.