#Ajayan
The catastrophic natural disaster that struck Wayanad on Tuesday morning, claiming at least 200 lives as of now, has reignited the debates forewarned by Gadgil in the 2011 Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel report. Tragically, thirteen years have passed, and the report's recommendations remain unimplemented, with discussions resurfacing only when another calamity occurs. Regrettably, Kerala now endures these disasters with alarming regularity. Since the devastating floods of 2018, Keralites have grown accustomed to viewing dark clouds with trepidation, as every downpour threatens landslides and floods, rendering life arduous for many.
Over the past six years, landslides have claimed the lives of approximately 300 individuals in Kerala, a grim harbinger of the devastation that awaits if immediate action is not taken.
In the wee hours of Wednesday, torrents of water, mud, and massive boulders cascaded down upon Meppadi, mercilessly sweeping away the entire village of Mundakkai along with numerous lives. The sheer magnitude of this catastrophe became evident as bodies were discovered some 20 km downstream in the Chaliyar river, having plummeted from the Soojipara waterfalls.
Adding to the tragedy are reports revealing that the Hume Centre for Ecology and Wildlife Biology in Kalpetta had forewarned of the disaster a full 16 hours in advance. Even Union Home Minister Amit Shah affirmed in Parliament on Wednesday that prior warnings had been issued to the State Government about the impending catastrophe.
Scientists attribute these calamities, including the recent disaster, to human interference. They point to massive land use changes, such as rampant quarrying, hill-flattening construction, expansive road building, and the proliferation of resorts under the guise of tourism, all of which have left the Western Ghats unstable. Coupled with the unstable monsoon patterns brought on by climate change, which result in heavy downpours in a short span, these activities trigger devastating landslides.
The current Pinarayi Government in Kerala owes an explanation to the people regarding its proposal for a tunnel path boring through these hills, akin to the Kuthiran Pass linking Thrissur and Palakkad. Given that the proposed tunnel runs perilously close to the disaster-stricken area, the government must reconsider and abandon such destructive and quixotic ventures.
Madhav Gadgil told Metro Vaartha that the Wayanad disaster is a tragic consequence of human actions. It is a man-made disaster. Despite his 2011 report's warnings, the Kerala governments have consistently failed to implement the crucial recommendations necessary to preserve the delicate ecology.
He remarked that quarries, not far from the disaster site, have played a significant role in triggering this calamity. Though many of these quarries are no longer in operation, the impact of the blasts done then, sending shockwaves over great distances, is still being felt today.
Not far from the disaster site lie the ancient Edakkal Caves, nestled within the Ambukuthimala. A substantial portion of this hill has already been claimed by the voracious quarrying lobby. A report published just before the devastating 2018 floods indicated that the quarrying area along the Western Ghats spans approximately 7,200 hectares, threatening to destabilize the entire ecosystem. Compounding these woes are the government’s efforts to dilute wetland laws, allowing individuals to fill paddy fields, long regarded as exemplary models of watershed management.
A myriad of anthropogenic activities in the Western Ghats, particularly in Wayanad, has significantly contributed to this calamity. Monocultures, such as expansive tea and coffee plantations, along with the sprawling infrastructures of resorts and homestays developed under the guise of tourism promotion, have played a considerable role in provoking these natural disasters.
An ecologist well-acquainted with the terrain noted the landslide's occurrence high up in the hills. The relentless water swept away topsoil and boulders, crashing down upon the village and uprooting houses, other structures and trees, before cascading into the Chaliyar river. Elders reminisce about a time when, during the monsoon, torrents of water would surge down from the peaks, flowing through the Chaliyar to reach Feroke in Kozhikode, bringing with it not only animals but occasionally humans as well. This natural phenomenon once attracted tigers to Feroke, drawn by the scent of such carcasses.
The devastating washing away of the bridge that connected Mundakkai to the outside world has severely hindered rescue operations, lamented a volunteer. The plight mirrors that of Munderi in Nilambur, where the bridge linking the tribal hamlet to the mainland was swept away in the calamitous 2018 floods. Regrettably, it remains unreconstructed to this day, he added.
Renowned geoscientist CP Rajendran of the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru, and Director of the Consortium for Sustainable Development at Connecticut in the US, said Kerala needed to have a clear policy on land management. Rehabilitation of people from places susceptible to disasters needed to be done immediately. There was nothing like short-term measures, he asserted. Data is available and digital elevation models were there. But there was the need for willingness to implement them.
In such a situation, various agencies like the Land Use Board and disaster management and other government bodies need to explain what they have done or not done so far.
Unfortunately, it was the mafia calling the shots which had to end. The situation was grim and a saturation point had been reached and such disasters affected the poor communities, Rajendran says. There needs to be an assessment of the impact of quarrying over the years. Undertaking of any project in such areas should be after assessing the environmental impact, he adds.
Experts Metro Vaartha contacted said the State needs to invest heavily on restoration of its ecosystems. There has to be an updation of landslide hazard zonation mapping, review of land-use pattern, acting firmly against river and waterbody encroachers, having in place people’s participatory disaster management cells at grassroots level and incorporating traditional ecological knowledge in disaster prevention and mitigation.