Omkar Dattatray
Man is very greedy and he has dis-balanced & devastated the nature and nature on its part has become cruel towards man and this nature’s fury have been witnessed in the form of massive landslides in Wayanad, Kerala .It is very sad and unfortunate that landslides have killed about 400 hundred people ,injured many hundreds and amounted damage to houses and other immovable property of the residents of Wayanad .Wayanad has remained the Lok Sabha constituency of Congress leader and now the leaders of opposition ,but presently ,Rahul is not representing Wayanad constituency in Parliament. The loss to life as well as property is colossal and many people are still in debris and some are missing .In the early hours of 30th July 2024,tradgery fell on the people of Wayanad ,when multiple landslides occurred at Mundakkai ,Chooralmala, and Meppadi villages of Wayanad district ,Kerala ,India. Heavy rains triggered the collapse of hillsides cascading down into the area .The landslides resulted in at least 358 deaths and injured over 273 people and the 250 people were reported missing .The landslides marked one of the deadliest natural disasters in Kerala’s history and the landslides and deaths were unprecedented as a result of the massive landslides .The landslides are among several extreme weather events that occurred in India in recent year’s .Wayanad ,a hilly district in the Western Ghats mountain range ,is prone to landslides during monsoon season .Due to heavy rainfall in the area ,the residents in the Punchrimattom ,Attamala and Mundakkai areas were moved by the local authorities to relief camps on 29th June .Despite an alert issued by the district administration, many residents of the Chooramala area stayed in their houses as it was not marked as a landslide -prone area .An estimated 570mm of rainfall was recorded in two days preceding the disaster .A 2020 study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health on deforestation in Wayanad district showed that 62% of the green cover in the district disappeared between 1950 and 2018,while tea plantation cover rose by around 1800% ,leaving less forest to keep muddy hills stable .In addition ,Kerala’s hilly regions have slopes of more than 20 degrees ,these two factors may contribute to the increase risk of flash floods during heavy rains .According to the Geological Survey of India ,a total of 19,301 Km [7,452sq mi],or 49% of the Kerala’s total area ,falls within landslide-prone areas .Thus has the worst natural tragedy befallen on the people in various parts of Wayanad .The first landslide struck the village of Mundakkai in Meppadi Grama Panchayat at around 01.00ST ,which swept away the entire village ,followed by a second landslide to the north in nearby Chooralmala at around 04.10.The second landslide diverted the Iruvazhiniji River ,resulting in flash floods and washing away the Chooralmala village .Approximately 400 families were stranded in Mundakkai and Atamala following the collapse of the only bridge connecting the settlements and Chooramala .Overall ,four villages ,namely Mundakkai,Attarmala,Chooralmala,and Kunhome ,were affected by the landslides .The landslides killed 358 and injured 273 people ,making them the deadliest landslides in Kerala’s history ,most victims were workers on tea and cardamom estates located in the region and were likely asleep in their makeshift tents when the landslide struck .Another 250 people were left unaccounted for .In Chooralmala ,survivors mourned the loss of their fellow villagers ,with one villager stating that up to 90% of the people he knew in the village had perished .Muddy water and debris flowed and merged with the Cheliyar River ,from which at least 198 bodies were found .State and national disaster relief teams were dispatched immediately to the areas which suffered much to conduct rescue operations but were hindered by strong river currents and heavy rains .The Indian Army sent more than 200 personnel to the area to assist with search and rescue operation .Local hospitals treated over 518 including more than 273 wounded people ,more than 4000people were rescued and over 10000 people were sent to 93 disaster camps in Wayanad .Schools and colleges were closed in 10 of 14 districts .Kerala’s State Disaster Management Authority ,Kerala Fire and Rescue Services ,and Kerala police ,along with the Indian Air Force ,Indian Navy ,Defense Security Corps-DSC ,National Disaster Response Force-NDFR ,and the volunteers participated in rescue operations .On July 31,about 1500 personnel of the Armed forces were deployed in the area. A command and control centre was set up in Kozhikodi by the army to coordinate humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts .Navy river crossing teams had also been deployed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced payment of Rs 2 lakh to the relatives of the dead and 50,000 to each injured. Rahul Gandhi ,leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha and former MP for Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency ,spoke with the CM Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan and urged United Democratic Front workers to provide help to the affected people and to relatives of the dead .The government of Tamil Nadu offered Rs 5 crore for relief operations and also sent medical and relief rescue teams .Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi visited camps in Wayanad on August 1.Rahul Gandhi said in the press conference that Congress will build 100 houses in the affected areas .The CM of Karnataka ,Siddaramiah assured the Kerala government that the state would build 100 houses for those affected by the landslides .The Union Home Minister Amit Shah informed the parliament that four early warnings were issued to the Kerala government between 23 &26 July indicating possible rainfall of more than 20 cm [7.9 in ] in and around the area. The CM of Kerala responded by claiming that the red alert was issued for Wayanad only after disaster and only a forecast of low probability for landslides were given for Wayanad on 30 and 31 July by the central agencies .Condolences poured from the international community on the tragedy which has befallen Wayanad ,Kerala. Condolences came from US President Joe Biden ,Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian, and Russian president Vladimir Putin .Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs extended its condolences and sympathies to the people of India as did Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu ,Israeli Ambassador to India Naor Gilon ,French envoy to India Thierry Mathou ,President of UAE Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan ,and the Saudi Embassy in india. Corporate fraternity has extended financial assistance for the affected people and to relatives of the dead .Civil Society like actors ,singers etc have also given financial aid to the landslide ravaged people of Wayanad. While the affected people deserve all kind of help and in fact the material and money is pouring from various quarters. There is immediate need to find out the possible causes of the landslide and consequent human and property losses. There is urgent need that such landslides should not occur again in future and devour the precious lives .For this there should be a foolproof mechanism in force so that warnings will be issued well in advance of the catastrophe so that the lives of the people are saved .However Wayanad landslides has caused enormous loss in terms of men and property and way and means should be developed so that in future such catastrophes will not take place .
It is very unfortunate that various political parties are playing cheap and dirty politics over the dead but it should stop now as there is no place for politicking over the bodies of dead people .So political parties and their leaders should desist from resorting to politics over the massive landslides and the consequent loss of men and materials and help the powers in rescue ,relief and rehabilitation of the affected families.
(The author is a columnist, social and KP activist)
