Editorial: Wayanad worries

Kerala needs to show political will to strictly implement Coastal Regulation Zone laws

The unfolding tragedy in the landslides-hit Wayanad, with over 160 people dead and several still missing, is a man-made disaster. Nature’s fury comes as a grim reminder of how climate change, induced by human tinkering of an already fragile ecology and unbridled constructions in the name of development can lead to disastrous consequences. Massive landslides in the hilly regions of Kerala’s Wayanad district, triggered by torrential rains, buried large areas under debris, leaving a trail of death and destruction. Kerala is located in a fragile ecological zone of the Western Ghats and is endowed with natural splendour. Instead of nurturing the biodiversity of the region, successive governments have been recklessly tinkering with its fragile ecology and allowing constructions in the name of tourism projects. Repeated warnings by environmentalists about impending dangers fell on deaf ears over the decades. Much of the damage could have been avoided had the Kerala government implemented the recommendations of the Western Ghats Ecology Experts Panel led by conservationist Madhav Gadgil. In its report submitted in 2012, the Gadgil committee identified over 13,000 sqkm, located across 12 of Kerala’s 14 districts, as Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESAs) and had warned that time was running out to save the Western Ghats. However, successive governments ignored the obvious signs of environmental damage. All the areas that are now among the worst affected by the floods and landslides were classified under ecologically-sensitive zones by the expert committee which wanted immediate stoppage of all the illegal stone quarrying and sand mining.

No development should have taken place in these highly sensitive areas which were originally utilised for tea plantations during British rule and had since seen extensive development, including the construction of resorts and artificial lakes. Kerala has no choice but to scientifically and ecologically manage its land. The time has come to stop quarrying in the Western Ghats. Moreover, the Southeast Arabian Sea is becoming warmer, causing the atmosphere above this region, including Kerala, to become thermodynamically unstable. This is resulting in extremely heavy rainfall in the State in a shorter period and increasing the possibility of landslides. With climate change, the rain-bearing belt with deep clouds is extending southward and this is the main reason behind such extremely heavy rainfall. In general, monsoon patterns have become erratic and more rainfall is occurring in a short period. As a result, there are frequent instances of landslides and floods along the Western Ghats, from Kerala to Maharashtra. Illegal excavations, stone quarrying and illegal forest land acquisition by private players are the major reasons for Nature’s fury. The devastation in Kerala stands testimony to the callousness of the urban policymakers in taking corrective measures. Kerala needs to show political will to strictly implement Coastal Regulation Zone laws and regulations meant to protect the Western Ghats to minimise calamities in future.

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