Kozhikode: Madhav Gadgil has said the exploitation of nature should be not allowed during rebuilding of Kerala after floods.

The practice of bureaucrats calling the shots on important matters should end, he said at a programme organised by Indian Association of Lawyers in Kochi.

This would do good to the State in the long run, he felt.

About the cause of floods, he said there was a need to investigate thoroughly whether opening of all dams simultaneously led to the situation.

Dams were nearly full even as monsoon was halfway through. Normally, the practice is to keep nearly full when monsoon is ending. It was also important to do a research to know whether there were anomalies in dam management.

He said the reconstruction of the state should be done through active participation of the public.

Gadgil had in his report about five years back suggested decommissioning of all dams in the west coast of the country. The report also suggested an end to quarrying, cultivation and habitation in ecological sensitive zones. This was opposed tooth and nail by the stakeholders in the sensitive zones in the State, including Idukki, Wayanad, Kozhikkode, Kottayam and other places.

The Left parties were in the forefront of the campaign against Gadgil.

It was the former Congress MP P T Thomas, now an MLA, who demanded implementation of Gadgil report. This made him a hated leader among stakeholders.