A report by the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences has revealed that the Tamil Nadu floods last were caused not only by heavy rains, but also due to “poor drainage systems and overflow of dam water”. The Economic Times said the report also mentioned that the ministry issued weather warnings predicting heavy rainfall up to 48 hours before the flooding. It also said the floods could have been avoided if Tamil Nadu’s response was as quick as Odisha’s or Gujarat’s.

An official from the ministry said that the floods in Kashmir were due to drainage restrictions caused by narrow outlets in the valley, but Chennai had received advance warnings and should have prepared itself better for the disaster. The release of water from the Chembarambakkam dam after heavy rainfall began also resulted in the flooding, the official added.

The state government’s handling of the floods will be an important issue in the upcoming assembly elections this year. Opposition leader M Karunanidhi has repeatedly criticised Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s management of the disaster. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also be visiting Coimbatore on Thursday to kick off the Bharatiya Janata Party’s election campaign.