NEW DELHI: Environmentalist Madhav Gadgil said that if the government does not take steps to protect the Western Ghats, catastrophic events will happen in the state again. He said that he had given this warning earlier also, but the central and state governments jointly subverted my report then, alleged Gadgil. He said that he had submitted the report in 2011 much before the floods in Kerala. Gadgil said heavy rains and over-exploitation of the Western Ghats were the main reasons for the disasters in Kerala.

Gadgil said political gains was the aim of both the central and state governments. When exploitation of nature coincided with climate change, disasters happened in Kerala. Kerala should think sincerely whether they want projects like silver line. Why destroying nature in order to save some time, asked Gadgil.