Wayanad Landslides: Death Toll Rises To 148, IMD Issues Orange Alert For The District

Massive landslides struck various hilly areas near Meppadi in Kerala's Wayanad district early Tuesday. The death toll as of Wednesday morning is 148 with more than 200 people reportedly injured. It is feared that the toll might go up as hundreds of people are suspected to be trapped.

Meanwhile, Kerala health minister Veena George, who was travelling to the landslide-hit district to coordinate the rescue operations there, met with an accident near Manjeri on Wednesday morning.

According to police, the accident occurred when the minister's vehicle reportedly hit a two-wheeler. The minister was taken to the government medical college in Manjeri, police said, adding her condition was not serious.

Following the devastating landslide in Wayanad, the Kerala government declared state mourning for two days. An official notification issued by Chief Secretary V Venu had declared official mourning on July 30 and 31.

As per protocol, the national flag will be kept at half-mast and all public functions and celebrations will be cancelled.

The district administrations have declared holidays for all educational institutions in Wayanad, Kasaragod, Malappuram, Kannur, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Palakkad, Thrissur, Ernakulam, Idukki, Pathanamthitta, and Alappuzha.

Destroyed houses, swollen water bodies and broken branches of uprooted trees dot the high-range villages of Wayanad. Picturesque hamlets known for their beauty -Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha villages were among the areas affected and cut off by the landslides.

Vehicles washed away in floodwaters could be seen stuck in tree trunks and submerged in many places. Swollen water bodies changed their course and flowed through inhabited areas, resulting in more destruction. Huge boulders, rolled down the hills and hindered the path of rescue workers.

As the landslides caused mass uprooting of trees and floodwaters washed away the green patches, the affected villages acquired a desert-like appearance in many places.

Harrowing scenes of bodies inside destroyed houses could be seen in television visuals. In a particular instance, TV channels showed army personnel breaking the tin roof of a house that was completely submerged in mud and using ropes to reach inside to retrieve the bodies of those trapped there.

A local man, who went inside one such house, said he saw mud-covered bodies in sitting positions on chairs and lying down on cots. Fears of mounting fatalities have been sparked by apprehensions that several people may still be trapped under the debris.

Heavy engineering equipment and rescue dog teams were airlifted and disaster relief teams were dispatched by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG). Indian Armed Forces swung into immediate action and 300 military personnel were moved to commence rescue operations. During the day, additional columns of Army, Naval teams and helicopters from Air Force were mobilised to assist the rescue and relief efforts.

The teams are equipped with essential disaster relief materials such as rubber inflatable boats for rescue operations, diesel-driven pumps to manage water and drainage issues, life jackets for safety, raincoats and gum boots for personnel protection in adverse weather conditions and other earth-clearing implements for clearing debris and accessing affected areas.

The ICG also dispatched food materials, drinking water and other essential supplies to support the affected population. The distribution of these supplies is being coordinated with the district disaster management team to ensure efficient aid delivery.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an 'orange' alert in Wayanad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargode predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall on July 31 and August 1. The weather department has also predicted wind warning for Kerala, "Strong surface winds with speed reaching 30-40, gusting to 50 kmph likely to prevail occasionally over Kerala on July 31, 2024", the IMD said. Fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea.

Climate change, fragile terrain and loss of forest cover created a perfect recipe for the disastrous landslides that struck Wayanad district, according to studies conducted over the years.

According to the landslide atlas released by the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) National Remote Sensing Centre last year, 10 out of the 30 most landslide-prone districts in India were in Kerala, with Wayanad ranked 13th.

A study published by Springer in 2021 said all landslide hotspots in Kerala were in the Western Ghats region and concentrated in Idukki, Ernakulam, Kottayam, Wayanad, Kozhikode and Malappuram districts.

A 2022 study on depleting forest cover in Wayanad showed that 62 % of forests in the district disappeared between 1950 and 2018, while plantation cover rose by around 1,800 percent.

The landslides also brought to the fore the unheeded warnings of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel set up by the government under ecologist Madhav Gadgil. The panel recommended that the entire hill range be declared an ecologically sensitive area and divided into ecologically sensitive zones.

The recommendations have not been implemented even after 14 years due to resistance from state governments, industries and local communities.

Wayanad, a hill district in northern Kerala, is known for its lush green forests, rolling hills, and sparkling waterfalls. With a population of about 8,17,000 people (as of the 2011 census), it is home to various cultures, including the indigenous tribal communities.

(with PTI inputs)