Recurring Landslides Wreak Havoc In Kerala: A Devastating Impact Of Climate Change

Rasheed, a resident of Mundakkai in Wayanad, woke up at 2am on Tuesday and rushed out of his home. He could not initially figure out the gravity of the tragedy, but figured out that a massive landslide had happened. 

His family members and neighbours took refuge on the terrace of a nearby resort. Around 25 people have been isolated in this resort. Rasheed could not find his father, who has gone missing. Rasheed's mobile phone stopped ringing; his friends and  rescue operators have lost contact with the people stranded at the resort.

This is just one of the hundreds of harrowing stories of landslide terror emerging from Wayanad in Kerala. When Health Minister Veena George confirmed the deaths of 24 people, as reported by the Wayanad district administration at 10:30am on Tuesday, PV Anwar, the MLA of Nilambur in Malappuram District, confirmed that seven dead bodies were found floating in the Chaliyar River, which originates from the mountains in Wayanad. Hundreds of people are stranded in resorts and hotels in Mundakkai and surrounding areas.

Four teams from the NDRF, Army, Police, and Fire Force and local volunteers are working tirelessly to save as many lives as possible. However, reports continue to come in from villages inundated with mud and water, indicating that several people remain trapped in deep sludge and among rock debris. According to local sources, around 100 people have been stranded in another resort in Mundakkai, the epicentre of the massive landslide that occurred yesterday in wee hours.

According to reports, two villages, Mundakkai and Chooralmala, in the Meppadi Panchayat of Wayanad, have been completely washed away. Over 140 people are feared dead, and several others have been reported missing as of Wednesday morning. As per weather forecast, heavy rain will continue for the next five days. The rescue team is facing extreme challenges as rivers have changed course, bridges have been destroyed, and debris from broken rocks has spread all over the area. 

Kerala has been repeatedly hit by landslides, floods, and cyclones over the past few years, clearly signalling the devastating impact of climate change. In August 2020, 66 people were buried alive in Pettimudi, Idukki District, with the mortal remains of four still undiscovered. In August 2019, 59 people died in a massive landslide in Kavalappara and Puthumala, on opposite sides of Muthappan Hill, part of the Western Ghats in Malappuram and Wayanad Districts, respectively. Around 150 families were relocated from these areas after the tragedy. Puthumala lies in the same Meppadi village where the landslide occurred today. Another landslide in October 2021 claimed 13 lives in Koottikkal village in Kottayam District.

The rainfall received in Puthumala in Wayanadu where the landslide occurred in 48 hours is 572 mm per hour (as on July 30).

An assessment of rainfall in Kerala makes it apparent that landslides have become an inevitable tragedy in the state. According to the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA), Kerala received 123 per cent more rainfall than the long-period average during August 2019. During the catastrophic floods of August 2018, the worst in nearly a century, Kerala experienced 96 per cent excess rainfall compared to the long-period average. Seven out of the 14 districts, from Kasaragod to Thrissur, received over 1000 mm of rainfall from August 1 to 31, 2019, according to KSDMA. The authority also notes that hundreds of landslides occur annually, mostly in forests, causing no casualties and therefore receiving little public attention. 

Heavy rain fall is expected for the next five more days across the State. Red, Orange and Yellow alerts have been issued from time to time depending on the forecast. Holiday declared for educational institutions across seven districts for which the announcement came yesterday itself. According to local sources, a few tribal families were evacuated yesterday in Meppadi village which helped reducing the casualty. The months of July and August have become the season of natural calamities in Kerala over the past ten years.