Editorial: Tragedy and apathy

As many as 123 people were reported to have lost their lives and 128 injured in massive landslides triggered by torrential rains in Wayanad. As hundreds of people are said to be trapped under the debris, there are fears that the fatalities could mount. The landslides that left a trail of devastation in the hamlets of Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala and Noolpuzha, are not without precedent. They have now rekindled the nightmarish memories of other major natural calamities that have hit the state in the past few years.

According to the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Kerala has recorded the highest number of landslides, with 2,239 out of 3,782 landslides in the country occurring there between 2015 and 2022. The August 2018 floods, which was termed as the state's 'flood of the century' saw the loss of 483 lives. Wreaking havoc on livelihoods and properties — with as much as 57,000 hectares of agricultural crops being destroyed — the disaster compelled the Union government to take note and term it a 'calamity of severe nature'. The floods, which had affected one-sixth of the state's total population, had prompted a discourse on the need to opt for environment-friendly construction while rebuilding the flood-ravaged state.

Kerala did not find a moment of reprieve, as a year later, another landslide hit Puthumala in Wayanad (10 km from the presently affected areas), which killed 17 people. Two years later, in October 2021, incessant rainfall led to landslides, killing 35 people in Idukki and Kottayam districts. The India Meteorological Department has reported that heavy rainfall and flood-related incidents that year had claimed the lives of 53 people in the state. Again, in August 2022, landslides and flash floods triggered by heavy rains killed 18.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, scientists and experts have sought the creation of early warning, landslide prediction mechanisms, and the construction of safe structures for vulnerable populations. But, there are several questions lingering in the air with regard to the role of climate change in precipitating extreme weather events. A senior climate scientist surmised that warming of the Arabian Sea had allowed for the formation of deep cloud systems, leading to extremely heavy rainfall in Kerala in a shorter period, which increased the possibility of landslides.

While the spectre of climate change looms large in the context of many natural disasters, what has also been called into question is the inaction of consecutive governments, privy to the recurrence of natural calamities in the region. A 13-year-old report — compiled by the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel led by Madhav Gadgil had warned the administration against indiscriminate quarrying and construction activities in Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESAs).

In its report submitted to the Centre in August 2011, the committee had cautioned against anti-environmental activities in Meppadi, where a landslide had devastated an entire village. Meppadi was one of the 18 Ecologically Sensitive Localities (ESL) in Kerala identified by the panel. It is located in Vythiri taluk, which is home to the aforementioned villages that were hit by the landslide on Tuesday. Sadly, both the state and Central governments disregarded the report and proceeded with activities that undermined the proposals.

Landslides and flash floods occur in regions where the impact of both climate change and direct human intervention in terms of land use changes are evident. There is an urgent need to evaluate land use changes and development activities happening in landslide-prone areas. And the government cannot turn a blind eye to climate change.