Lessons from Wayanad

WHENEVER THERE IS A NATURAL calamity in the Western Ghats, one expert’s report finds immediate mention as a constant reminder of early warnings about injudicious mining and rampant construction in this ecologically fragile area, one of the world’s top eight hotspots of biological diversity. It is a report by Madhav Gadgil’s committee in 2011, which called for stringent measures to protect and notify ecologically sensitive areas (ESAs) in the Western Ghats that cover an area of around 140,000 sq km in a 1,600km-long stretch along the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat; it is interrupted only by the 30km Palghat Gap.

Another report also resurfaces—which is by K Kasturirangan’s committee that watered down Gadgil’s suggestions. The idea behind this dilution a few years after 2011 was reportedly to balance development initiatives and environmental concerns.

Paradoxically, like the 2018 Kerala floods, the latest tragedy in Wayanad and nearby areas proves that Gadgil’s report was ignored due to political expediency and greed. It will take a while before the quantum of devastation and deaths from nature’s fury in the northern Kerala district and neighbouring areas will surface in full measure, but the fact that ESAs have not yet been notified 13 years after the release of the Gadgil report highlights a lack of political will, involving multiple stakeholders.

Rescuers, including Indian Forces, are doing an excellent job even as Central and state governments are leaving nothing to chance, notwithstanding the mounting challenges. But those who are familiar with the terrain since the early 1980s, including this author, have for far too long had no doubts whatsoever that this was a tragedy waiting to happen.

Natural disasters are not merely natural to start with—they are often “man-made” and there is more scientific proof now than before. Ameer Shahul, author and eco-activist who spends many months of the year in Wayanad, concurs. “That is true,” says Shahul, the author of Heavy Metal: How a Global Corporation Poisoned Kodaikanal, which delves into how Unilever caused mercury poi­soning in the Tamil Nadu hill station of Kodaikanal. Shahul warns, “More will follow if the state government doesn’t take this as a wake-up call and start acting now. Despite the Gadgil Committee’s recom­mendation to phase out mining activities in these fragile zones by 2016, mining continues unabated even today,” he avers.

He says the July 2024 floods are also an occasion for policymak­ers to realise the importance of recommendations in the Gadgil Committee report and revisit them by treating the entire Western Ghats—not the 60,000sqkm, as suggested by the Kasturirangan Committee—as ESA. Shahul, who has closely analysed environ­mental problems in the Western Ghats, comes up with a recom­mendation: “The [state] government, in coordination with local bodies, must enforce a strict ban on construction activities on slopes with gradients of 45 degrees or more and ensure the complete evacu­ation of human settlements from landslide-prone areas.”

That the Western Ghats is a treasure worthy of preserving is a subject often brushed under the rug by Indian policymakers. UNESCO has observed: “A significant characteristic of the West­ern Ghats is the exceptionally high level of biological diversity and endemism…. The forests of the Western Ghats include some of the best representatives of non-equatorial tropical evergreen forests in the world. At least 325 globally threatened species live in the Western Ghats. The globally threatened flora and fauna in the Western Ghats are represented by 229 plant species, 31 mammal species, 15 bird species, 43 amphibian species, 5 reptile species and 1 fish species. Of the total 325 globally threatened species in the Western Ghats, 129 are classified as vulnerable, 145 as endangered and 51 as critically endangered.”

Authorities concerned must not only correct past mistakes but also adopt newer measures to tackle climate change and natural disasters caused by myopic policies. Here is where technologists come into play as governments overhaul their priorities.

Kalai Ramea, cofounder and chief technology officer at Planette, a company that uses AI to make environmental forecasts, dwells at length on what could be the future of the prevention of natural disasters. This California-based alumnus of the College of Engineering, Guindy, and the University of Southern California, elaborates, “As we enter this ‘new normal’ due to climate change, relying solely on historic data is no longer sufficient to understand and predict these changes. We are used to seeing warnings on the weather scale [two weeks’ time frame] or vague warnings in the long term [30 years].” She notes the need for smarter solutions. “There is a critical need to fill this gap [one month to five years] to handle such events,” she states. This is why, says Ramea, by leveraging scientific advancements, we can make more accurate forecasts over longer time frames (months to years). “For instance, forecasting a high risk of extreme rainfall in Wayanad three months in advance would have given the government and relevant agencies ample time to mobilise resources, reinforce infrastructure to prevent landslides, and plan timely evacuations,” she points out.

The urgency to develop climate-resilient infrastructure is greater now than ever, especially in vulnerable regions. Failing to do so will result in a continuous cycle of loss of lives and livelihoods, Ramea adds.

There are government and private agencies within India that work towards making rescue efforts smarter. The need of the hour therefore is to enlist the support of such entities in these daunting tasks. For instance, it was the NGO Caritas that flew in winter-proof tents shortly after the 2005 Kashmir earthquake. When it comes to mobile healthcare services, Hindustan Lifecare Limited (HLL) is at the forefront. ‘Bhishm Cubes’, which is supplied by HLL and developed under the Aarogya Maitri project, is a portable hospital of sorts. Dr Anitha Thampi, chairman, HLL, says that these products are tailored to treat up to 200 casualties at a time, and can easily be airlifted to disaster-hit areas.

Let’s listen to what Aluva-based former Microsoft director and entrepreneur James Joseph, a survivor of the 2018 floods, has to say: “The scale of the tragedy in Wayanad made me realise the precau­tions we took to withstand the 2018 floods on the banks of the Peri­yar in Aluva wouldn’t have worked for houses on hill slopes. Water levels in the riverbanks downstream go up gradually, giving us time to react and the basic foundation and structure of buildings are not under serious threat.” He goes on, “Kerala should also seriously pro­mote a reverse migration of people from the hills to the traditional residential-cum-farmlands, where houses are being abandoned due to a sudden increase in economic migration abroad.”

Kochi-based Viju B is the author of the bestselling book Flood and Fury: Ecological Devastation in the Western Ghats. Talking about the biggest environmental disaster in Wayanad to date, he says, “Two causes for this tragedy stand out. One is the highly intensive rain­fall, especially in Wayanad and Idukki, which is caused by climate change. The second is unscrupulous development. Interestingly, the state government has approved a Rs 2,000-crore mega tunnel project that passes close to the spot where the landslides occurred. It is high time the state reviewed these mega projects and rehabili­tated people living in highly disaster-prone zones.” He adds, “In fact, following the Puthumala landslide [in Pathanamthitta district in 2019], an expert committee appointed by the district administration had said 4,000 residences needed to be evacuated from this stretch, which covers the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats. If that were done, hundreds of lives could have been saved.”

Without an iota of doubt, nothing short of a major shift in policies can save precious lives.

ChooralmalaenvironmentfloodsKeralaman-made disasternatural disasterWayanad