Indian Express Editorial Summary

Editorial Topic : Wayanad Landslide: A Wake-Up Call

Scenic Beauty and Fragility

Wayanad: Idyllic hill station in the Western Ghats with vast tea plantations, dense forests, origins of rivers like Kabini and Chaliyar.
Biodiversity: Home to biological reserves, wildlife sanctuaries, and national parks.

Tragedy Strikes in 2024

Catastrophic Event: Landslide triggered by a cloudburst, destroying homes and trapping people under debris.
Human Toll: Over 300 people dead, more than 300 missing.

Root Causes of the Landslide

Extreme Rainfall: Landslide triggered by extremely heavy rainfall due to the warming Arabian Sea.
Climate Instability: Warming of the southeast Arabian Sea leads to instability, causing excessive rain over the Western Ghats, including Kerala.
Human Interference: Unchecked development from tourism and quarrying disrupted Wayanad’s fragile topography.

Underlying Factors

Susceptible Terrain: Nearly half of Kerala comprises hills and mountainous regions with slopes over 20 degrees, prone to landslides during heavy rains.
Climate and Land Use: Landslides and flash floods often occur where climate change impacts and human land use interventions are evident.
Deforestation: Forest area decreased by 62% between 1950 and 2018, while rubber plantations rose by around 1,800%.
Impact of Plantations: Rubber trees are less effective in holding soil compared to dense forest cover, increasing landslide intensity.
Construction Practices: Mindless and unscientific construction practices significantly contributed to the devastation.

Gadgil Committee’s Recommendations (2011)

Preventive Measures: Ban construction, mining, and quarrying in large parts of the Western Ghats, one of the world’s eight hottest biodiversity hotspots.

Ignoring Past Warnings

Historical Precedent: Similar landslide in 2019 in Kerala’s hilly regions.
Ongoing Neglect: Despite expert warnings, unchecked construction and tourism-related activities continued.
Eco-Tourism Impact: Wayanad’s eco-tourism led to rampant construction, including resorts, roads, tunnels, and quarrying without assessing the area’s carrying capacity.

Steps to Mitigate Future Disasters

Scientific Precision: Undertake construction of roads and infrastructure with scientific precision considering environmental impact.
Address Risk Factors: Consider new risk factors in construction to prevent flash floods, accounting for river flow.
Sustainable Land Management: Promote sustainable land-management practices such as reforestation, controlled deforestation, and sustainable agriculture to maintain hillside stability and reduce soil erosion.

Conclusion: Urgent Need for Change

Resilient Infrastructure: Kerala needs urgent climate-resilient infrastructure due to frequent climate-induced disasters over the past decade.
Ecological Balance: The Wayanad tragedy emphasizes the delicate balance between nature and human activity, highlighting the consequences of neglecting ecological warnings.
Sustainable Practices: Adopt sustainable development practices to safeguard the environment and lives, ensuring long-term stability and resilience against natural disasters.