Hawaiian official M. Kaleo Manuel is being heavily criticized after reports of him being responsible for the delay in water release to fight the Maui fires.

Manuel is the deputy director of the Department of Land and Natural Resources Commission on Water Resource Management. His office is responsible for all water-related decisions in the state of Hawaii.

After reports of him delaying the release of water amid Maui fires hit the internet, an old video of him went viral where he was seen trying to argue how water is supposed to be “holy” and primarily meant for traditional practices. He talked about how water should be revered and not used. “My motto has always been: let water connect us, not divide us,” he said in the viral footage.

Also Read | Miles Stones’ book ‘Fire And Fury: Story Of 2023 Maui Fire’ sparks conspiracy theories

“Native Hawaiians treated water as one of the earthly manifestations of a god…We’ve become used to looking at water as something that we use, and not something that we revere…We can reconnect to that traditional value set,” he was heard saying in the video.

Who is M Kaleo Manuel?

According to the official website of Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), M. Kaleo Manuel is the deputy director of the Commission on Water Resource Management. His duties include maintaining the State Water Code (created in 1987) and ensuring that all water-related practices in the state are according to law.

Manuel was born and raised in Hawaii and currently lives on the island of Manoa, in O’ahu. He is currently serving his second term as the deputy director. He was first appointed by the Chairperson of the Department of Land and Natural Resources in January 2019.

He completed his graduation in Hawaiian Studies. He is also a postgraduate in Urban and Regional Planning, both from the University of Hawaii. Manuel also holds a Graduate Certificate in Historic Preservation from the same university.

Also Read | Joe Biden’s $700 aid to Maui households slammed as ‘insulting’ in comparison to $113 billion Ukraine aid

Manuel has previously served as the Planning Program Manager at the state’s Department of Hawaiian Home Lands for almost a decade. In May 2009, he began his career as a professional planner at the same department in May 2009.

Manuel has been focused on water advocacy and management in Hawaii. He is one of the 200 inaugural Obama leaders representing the Asia-Pacific zone with the former president’s namesake foundation.

On August 8, Manuel was accused of delaying the release of water despite knowing the severity of the situation in western Maui, all because of a long-standing dispute between his office and West Maui Land Co. which manages agricultural and residential subdivisions in West Maui.

When West Maui Land Co. requested DLNR to approve the emergency release of water to fight the fires, Manuel demanded that the former first get permission from a ‘taro.’ ‘Taro,’ which is also called ‘kalo’ happens to be a native Hawaiian traditional farm located downstream from the company’s property.

The permission was eventually granted and Manuel allowed the water to be released but by then the fire had spread too far to be contained.