Daily Hot Topic
Topic : Kerala’s Wayanad Landslides

GS-3 Mains  : Disaster Management

Context:

• Massive landslides in Wayanad, Kerala in July 2024.
• At least 84 deaths, many injured.
• Ecologist Madhav Gadgil blamed Kerala govt for ignoring ecological warnings.

Landslides:

• Sudden, rapid movement of rock, soil, debris down a slope due to gravity.
• Common in steep terrains, areas with joints, fissures, and water saturation.

Causes of Landslides:

• Natural: heavy rainfall, erosion, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions.
• Anthropogenic: deforestation, encroachment, uncontrolled excavation, climate change.

Kerala’s Vulnerability:

• High rainfall, flooding: 14.5% land vulnerable.
• 1848 sq km (4.75% area) identified as high landslide hazard zone.
• Located in seismic zone III (moderate damage risk).

Gadgil Committee Recommendations:

• Classified Western Ghats into 3 ecological sensitivity zones.
• Designated entire region as Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA).
• Restricted development activities in ESZ 1.
• Advocated bottom-to-top governance, decentralization.
• Proposed Western Ghats Ecology Authority.
• Banned single commercial crop cultivation.
• Emphasized community participation.

Measures Taken in India:

• Disaster Management Act, 2005.
• National Landslide Risk Management Strategy, 2019.
• National Landslide Hazard Management Guidelines, 2009.
• National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) capacity building.
• Early warning systems (e.g., Ensemble Prediction System).

Western Ghats:

• 1600 km mountain chain along west coast.
• Covers 6 states, with 60% in Karnataka.
• Crucial for region’s climate, biodiversity hotspot.
• UNESCO World Heritage Site (2012).