Landslide devastation in Kerala's Western Ghats highlights urgent need for sustainable development

In Vilangadu, numerous houses were destroyed, with over 150 rendered uninhabitable. Crops on 350 hectares were ruined, and 116 hectares became unsuitable for farming. Additionally, 25 roads were damaged, seven bridges were lost, and drinking water projects were halted. The impact on infrastructure highlighted the severity of the situation. However, thanks to a functional early warning system, human casualties were limited to one—a rescue worker named Matthew.

Despite the limited loss of life, the survivors of Vilangadu, who lost everything but their lives, feel disheartened. They have been excluded from the larger rehabilitation projects organized by central and state governments, philanthropists, corporations, and NGOs to aid the victims in Wayanad. These survivors consider themselves the most neglected victims of the ongoing climate crisis in southern India.

The sense of desperation is not confined to Vilangadu alone but is widespread across the Western Ghats region, which spans Kerala and neighboring Tamil Nadu. People are increasingly concerned about the "exploitative" development projects in the hills, which exacerbate climate change-induced disasters like recurring landslides.

In response to these concerns, the southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) registered a suo moto case and issued notices to the Kerala and Tamil Nadu governments. The tribunal expressed grave concern over unscientific land use changes in the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats, particularly in landslide-prone areas such as Wayanad, Idukki, Nilgiris, and Coimbatore. Similar concerns are widespread in other hill stations like Agumbe, Coorg, Chickmagalur, Kodaikanal, Yercaud, Attappady, and Iritty.

Many conservation activists and experts believe that state governments have not adequately implemented measures to prevent and address high-magnitude environmental tragedies. The implications of these failures extend beyond the local population, affecting tourism in the region. For instance, the Wayanad tragedy, which claimed the lives of a family from Orissa, has raised concerns about the safety of hill tourism in South India. As a result, monsoon tourism is struggling, with resorts and homestays facing cancellations from pre-booked guests.

The NGT has called for a thorough investigation into the permits granted for constructing buildings on the hill slopes of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The tribunal raised concerns about buildings exceeding their carrying capacity in Chooralmala and Mundakkai. It also questioned whether Tamil Nadu strictly adheres to Chapter 10A of the Tamil Nadu District Municipalities Act, 1920, which outlines regulations for building construction in hill stations.

"We need to ascertain whether Chapter 10A is strictly followed in Tamil Nadu and whether similar rules exist in Kerala. Please provide these details," the bench instructed the state counsels for Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

The Western Ghats, stretching 1,490 km from the Tapi Valley in the north to Kanyakumari in the south, covering approximately 129,037 sq km, is India's second-most significant region for biological diversity after the Eastern Himalayas. This majestic hill range influences rainfall patterns by forcing moisture-laden winds from the Arabian Sea to rise, resulting in heavy precipitation of 2,000 mm or more annually.

"These forests are the water tower of Peninsular India, and many life-giving rivers originate here. However, the Western Ghats, which evolved and sustained over centuries, are in peril today due to human pressure and plundering in the form of mining and quarrying," points out B.J. Krishnan, a member of the Gadgil committee from Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu.

According to Krishnan, the Nilgiris, close to Wayanad, is one of India's areas most prone to landslides. In 2020, researchers from the Vellore Institute of Technology collected data on landslides in the Nilgiris from 1824 to 2014 and created a spatial database. Notable years for landslides in the district's history include 1902, 1978, 1979, 1993, 2001, 2006, and 2009, with the worst being in 2009, when 1,150 landslides occurred, leading to 42 deaths within 48 hours.

"Landslide hazard assessment is crucial for risk management and land use planning in landslide-prone areas. India's first regional-scale landslide susceptibility map has already been created for the Nilgiris district. Experts say fresh geological surveys by agencies like GSI are needed to make better predictions about landslides," says Coimbatore-based environmental activist C.R. Jayaprakash.

Conservationists are raising alarms about the rapid increase of resorts in Wayanad, Idukki, Nilgiris, Kodaikanal, and Valparai. Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana of the NGT questioned why the tourism department allowed private players to build resorts in vulnerable areas, endangering innocent lives. She emphasized that no further construction should be permitted in landslide-prone areas.

"With climate change increasing the possibility of extreme precipitation in critical zones, southern states must adopt mitigation strategies to reduce the impact of extreme events. Climate resilience will be key to lessening the impacts, and we need innovative solutions to avoid human casualties," says Kerala-based environmentalist Srredhar Radhakrishnan.

Conservationists call for evacuating people from critical zones and halting development activities in high mountainous areas. However, some argue that this suggestion is impractical due to the high population density and the livelihood of farmers.

A more practical approach emphasizes the need to balance development and conservation while ensuring the safety of people living on the slopes. States should regulate construction activities and implement building technologies that minimize the impact on the terrain. Peaks with steep slopes are particularly at risk during heavy rainfall, especially if deep-rooted trees that help bind the soil together are removed.

"The government should implement the concept of seasonal rehabilitation for people living in vulnerable areas to prevent the loss of human lives. There are hundreds of resorts in the area, and the authorities should make it mandatory for them to provide free accommodation to people evacuated from vulnerable areas when issuing the license. Wayanad district should have a master plan for rehabilitating people from the valleys, which could be implemented over the next 25 years. We should develop townships in safe zones," says Wayanad-based conservationist Subhash Chandra Bose.