The Wayanad district in Kerala experienced a massive disaster on Tuesday, 30th July as three back-to-back severe landslides washed away four villages- Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha. Around 150 to 200 homes got demolished and washed away and more than 1000s of people got carried away as the landslides hit the district between 2 am to 4 am on Tuesday.
The rescue operations are underway and so far around 160 people are officially feared dead. The NDRF, SDRF, and the Indian Coast Guard teams, Army teams reached the spot immediately and began the rescue operations. The teams rescued more than 3069 people and sent them to 45 relief camps set up by the government. Kerala CM Pinaray Vijayan confirmed yesterday that more than 93 dead bodies were recovered. However, the Army this morning confirmed that the death toll had crossed the mark of 150-160 individuals.
The rescue team members while talking to the media also confirmed that the dead bodies were recovered in gruesome conditions. According to them, the team members have recovered individual body parts like arms, legs, and heads of some people while the rest of their body is still missing. The disaster has spread fear in the minds of people who are demanding rehabilitation by the government.
Several reports and experts have emerged after the disastrous landslide to claim that the Wayanad is ecologically disturbed and is prone to landslides as it is surrounded by hills and small mountains. The area experienced more than 140 mm to 220 mm of rain in the 24 hours between Monday and Tuesday mornings, more than the forecast estimates, according to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Several places in the Wayanad district experienced more than 300 mm of rainfall during this time period.
It is also believed that the Hume Centre for Ecology and Wildlife Biology in Kalpetta had shared a landslide warning for the region. What exactly led to the incident, why Wayanad, how is the Centre helping, what are Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi doing for its constituency; here’s all you need to know-
13% area of Kerala prone to landslides
Wayanad is a rural district in Kerala, southwest India. The Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, located in the east, is a lush, forested region with high altitudes that is home to Asiatic elephants, tigers, leopards, and egrets. Edakkal Caves, located in the southern Ambukuthi Hills, features ancient petroglyphs, some of which date back to the Neolithic period.
As per the media reports, the first landslide occurred at around 2 am on Tuesday, 30th July affecting around 200-250 homes. The other one occurred immediately after an hour or so washing away more than 100 other properties. The last landslide happened around 4 am on Tuesday. The last landslide reportedly brought with it massive mud and heavy stones which completely destroyed 4 villages of the district- Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha.
Constant rainfall continues to affect Wayanad and nearby areas. However, the state is said to have set up 118 relief camps across the state to temporarily rehabilitate more than 5000 affected people. 20,000 liters of drinking water have also been sent to the spot for affected persons. Meanwhile, it is believed that Wayand is prone to landslides due to its geographical location and unstable ecological conditions.
The district is surrounded by mountains consisting of loose mud which eventually flows in the residential areas affecting the surviving habitats. According to a recent AI-aided study, approximately 13% of Kerala is particularly prone to landslides, with Idukki, Palakkad, Malappuram, Pathanamthitta, and Wayanad classified as highly vulnerable districts. And 51% of the Wayanad region is covered with mountainous terrain increasing the probability of landslides.
The Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences (Kufos) observed a 3.46 percent rise in the extreme landslide susceptibility zone in the southern state during the 2018 “extreme rainfall event” that killed around 500 people.
In 2011, the Western Ghats Ecology Experts Panel (WGEEP), chaired by ecologist Madhav Gadgil, categorized the majority of the Idukki and Wayanad districts as category 1 eco-sensitive zones, indicating that they were extremely vulnerable and that forest land in these areas ought to not be utilized for agriculture or non-forest activities.
Experts also believe that the construction activities in the vulnerable area have increased to settle the rising population, which ultimately disturbs the ecology inviting such natural disasters.
Notably, bold reasons highlighted resulting in the current landslide are climate change, deforestation, mining activities, and unstable ecological conditions. The changing rainfall pattern in Kerala over the last few years has exacerbated the situation. The state has experienced a delay in monsoon rainfall in recent years. The current situation in Wayanad seems scary, even though the rescue teams and the Army are non-stop working to save humans trapped in the mud.
#WayanadLandslide
— Southern Command INDIAN ARMY (@IaSouthern) July 30, 2024
One column of Territorial Army has reached the mishap site at 12:30 PM#IndianArmy’s two relief columns with a strength of approx 200 individuals are underway to #Waynad.
Additional efforts based on the request of State government also being mobilised.… pic.twitter.com/P6QY5INHUh
A landslide warning was issued for the region
Amid the disaster, it has also come to the fore that the Hume Centre for Ecology and Wildlife Biology in Kalpetta had issued a landslide warning for Mundakkai in Wayanad’s Meppadi 15 hours before the huge landslide occurred that destroyed entire villages and killed over 160 people.
The warning was based on an analysis of the rainfall data that they diligently collect every day using rainfall sensors located throughout Wayanad. As per the reports, the Hume Centre, an effort led by ecologists, environmentalists, and climate educators, has shared such warnings and rainfall data with the state’s disaster management agency for many years now.
The Puthumala gauge recorded an alarming quantity of rainfall—572 mm in 48 hours. It exceeded the amount of rainfall that caused landslides in Puthumala and Kavalappara in August 2019. On July 29, around 9.30 a.m., the Hume Centre issued a landslide alert to district and state disaster management authorities.
CK Vishnudas, Director, Hume Centre however, states that he has no clue whether the warning or the alert was received by the state authorities.
The IMD had also predicted the possibility of these landslides a couple of days ahead of the incident.
Home Minister Amit Shah today revealed in the parliament that warnings about a possible major landslide and mudslide event was issued to Kerala 7 days before the incident, that is, on 23 July, and repeated warnings have been issued since. He stated that the Kerala govt has failed to take adequate steps and evacuation measures necessary to minimalist casualty. He drew a contrast with the state governments of Odisha and Gujarat, who have take adequate steps after the centres early warning and minimalised casualties in similar incidents.
Rescue operations by Centre, help by other states
Following severe landslides in Wayanad, the Indian Army has increased its rescue operations and successfully evacuated more than 1,000 people to safety. As of Wednesday morning, dead bodies of approximately 70 people had been recovered in addition to 93 recovered on Tuesday.
According to an official release, four columns from Kannur’s DSC Centre and the 122 TA Battalion are working along with the NDRF and state rescue personnel to undertake rescue operations. An advance crew from MEG & Centre, consisting of one officer, one JCO, and three ORs, arrived on the spot to perform reconnaissance on the Meppadi-Chooralmala Road and evaluate the demand for bridge resources in affected regions.
Rescue operations conducted in #Wayanad by Indian Air Force Garud Commandos in Advanced Light Helicopter- Dhruv . @giridhararamane#WeCare#WayanadLandslide pic.twitter.com/jbYHeQ3NfP
— PRO Defence Trivandrum (@DefencePROTvm) July 30, 2024
Two Humanitarian Support and Disaster Relief (HADR) columns, including medical teams, were transported from Trivandrum to Kozhikode by AN32 and C-130 aircraft (six officers, seven JCOs, and 121 ORs) yesterday. Fuel and other supplies were moved by road, with columns scheduled to proceed to their allotted sites for rescue operations.
The Engineering Task Force (ETF) of the Madras Engineering Group (MEG) and Centre (one officer, two JCOs, and 120 ORs) came on Wednesday at 03:00 a.m. with a JCB, TATRA, and a 110-foot T/S Bailey Bridge. These resources were deployed based on the advance party’s reconnaissance. Meanwhile, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and the Indian Army is also actively engaged in rescue and relief operations.
#WayanadLandslide
— Southern Command INDIAN ARMY (@IaSouthern) July 30, 2024
In all, four columns with Medical Aid Posts have reached the site. Areas affected are – Vellarimela, Muppidi, Mundekkai, Chooralmala, Attamala and Noolpuzha. More than 150 persons have been evacuted to safety. Rescue efforts in other locations underway
Two… pic.twitter.com/zSZqbB3IaB
“The Indian Army remains committed to providing all necessary support to the people of Kerala during this challenging time,” the Army stated in the statement. This is amid the decision of the state of Kerala to observe and mourn for two days to honor the lives of those carried away by the landslide. The national flag was flown at half mast at the state assembly.
The Prime Minister’s Office has issued a compensation package of Rs 2 lakh for the families of the dead and Rs 50,000 for those injured. The Sikkim government has announced Rs 2 crore of monetary assistance while Tamil Nadu has extended Rs 5 crore of help.
What are Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi doing for their electoral constituency?
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, who represented Wayanad in 2019 and contested again from the seat in 2024 along with Rae Bareli raised the issue of landslide in the Parliament on 30th July and demanded enhanced assistance for the area.
Speaking in the parliament, the opposition leader stated that he had spoken with the Union Defence Minister and the Chief Minister of Kerala to assess the situation in Wayanad. “I request the Union Government to extend all possible support for rescue and medical care and the immediate release of compensation and to consider increasing the compensation if possible,” Gandhi said.
He also emphasized the importance of restoring key transportation and communication in damaged areas and establishing aid as soon as possible, as well as developing a plan for the rehabilitation of affected families. “The country has witnessed an alarming rise in landslides in the last few years. There is an urgent need to map landslide-prone areas, take up mitigation measures, and develop an action plan to address the growing frequency of natural calamities in the ecologically fragile region,” he added.
However, late in the night, he issued a statement saying he wasn’t allowed in Wayanad due to heavy rains. “Priyanka and I were scheduled to visit Wayanad tomorrow to meet with families affected by the landslide and take stock of the situation. However, due to incessant rains and adverse weather conditions, we have been informed by authorities that we will not be able to land,” he posted on X.
Priyanka and I were scheduled to visit Wayanad tomorrow to meet with families affected by the landslide and take stock of the situation.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 30, 2024
However, due to incessant rains and adverse weather conditions we have been informed by authorities that we will not be able to land.
I…
“I want to assure the people of Wayanad that we will visit as soon as possible. In the meantime, we will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide all necessary assistance. Our thoughts are with the people of Wayanad at this difficult time,” he added.
Netizens however mocked Gandhi saying he was giving lame excuses and could manage to reach Wayanad anyhow if he actually wished to.
Meanwhile, it is interesting to note that, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) workers, who have always been a target for Rahul Gandhi, have reached the affected area and are helping the rescued individuals. Several photos and videos of the persons associated with the RSS are going viral on social media in which they can be seen helping the affected families with food and other basic things.
RSS' swift action includes conducting cremations and providing overnight meals. Volunteers from Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiri district have also joined in the relief efforts. #WayanadLandslide pic.twitter.com/NE0Gs80e1Y
— Friends of RSS (@friendsofrss) July 31, 2024
Recent floods, landslides in Kerala
Kerala witnessed disastrous floods in 2018, the worst in the state’s history, killing 483 people. In only three days in August of that year, the southern state got one-third of its usual annual rainfall. Landslides in Kerala killed up to 295 people between 1961 and 2016. Similar disasters were reported during the monsoons of 2019 and 2020, claiming over 100 lives.
In 2021, scores of people died as a result of landslides and floods in Kerala’s Kottayam and Idukki districts. In 2022, several people drowned in the state as a result of rain-related catastrophes such as landslides and flash floods. According to the Climate Report of India, published by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in January, extreme weather events killed 32 lives in Kerala in 2022.
In July 2022, the Ministry of Earth Sciences informed the Lok Sabha that Kerala had the most number of major landslides in the country in the previous seven years. Between 2015 and 2022, God’s Own Country reported approximately 59.2 percent, or 2,239, of the 3,782 landslides that occurred.
Climate change, deforestation, mining activities, and unstable ecological conditions have all been identified as major factors contributing to the current disaster. The changing rainfall patterns in Kerala over the last few years have aggravated the problem. The state has seen a delay in monsoon rains in recent years. The current scenario in Wayanad appears dreadful, even though rescue personnel and the Army are working tirelessly to help people tucked in the debris.
