At least 84 people have perished and hundreds feared trapped after three devastating landslides struck Kerala's Wayanad district within four hours of torrential rain. Rescue operations, involving the NDRF and multiple agencies, are underway.
The calamity began in the early hours, with Chooralmala village bearing the brunt of the first and most severe landslide. Entire sections of the village reportedly vanished, roads and bridges crumbled, and rescue workers found themselves overwhelmed by the scale of the destruction. Bodies floated down rivers that had turned into raging torrents, highlighting the human toll of this natural disaster.
In just four hours, three landslides struck, each compounding the havoc in Chooralmala. Shops, vehicles, and homes were swallowed by the earth, leaving behind a landscape unrecognizable to those who lived there. Local reports indicate that over 200 houses in Chooralmala were swept away. The rescue teams have yet to reach Mundakkai due to the complete destruction of the connecting bridge. The isolation of Mundakkai, just a few kilometers away, underscores the challenge of assessing the full extent of the disaster.
The slush and water cascading from Meppadi's slopes have dangerously elevated the Chaliyar River's water level, exacerbating fears of further devastation. In response, an Army team from Wellington, Coonoor, is enroute to coordinate rescue efforts and reconstruct critical infrastructure, such as the bridge to Mundakkai.
Months earlier, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi released a landslide susceptibility map, revealing that 58.52 percent of Wayanad was at high to very high risk of landslides. The villages of Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha were among those identified as vulnerable, with the recent landslides starkly validating these warnings.
Kerala witnessed its worst floods in history in 2018, claiming 483 lives as torrential rains lashed the state, dumping a third of its annual rainfall in just three days in August. Between 1961 and 2016, 295 people lost their lives to landslides in Kerala. Since 2018, the frequency and severity of such events have surged dramatically.
The monsoons of 2019 and 2020 brought similar tragedies, with over 100 lives lost. In 2021, landslides and floods in Kottayam and Idukki districts resulted in dozens of fatalities. By 2022, rain-related incidents, including landslides and flash floods, continued to claim lives, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) reporting 32 deaths due to extreme weather events.
Kerala has the highest number of major landslides in India, with 59.2% of the country's landslides occurring here between 2015 and 2022. Experts have identified 13 districts, except the coastal district of Alappuzha, as landslide-prone. The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has marked 1,848 square kilometers as High Landslide Hazard Zones, while 8% of the Western Ghats in Kerala is deemed a critical zone for mass movements.
An AI-aided study revealed that 13% of Kerala is extremely prone to landslides, with Idukki, Palakkad, Malappuram, Pathanamthitta, and Wayanad being highly vulnerable. The study noted a 3.46% increase in extreme landslide susceptibility zones following the 2018 extreme rainfall event.
In 2011, the Western Ghats Ecology Experts Panel classified most of Idukki and Wayanad as highly eco-sensitive zones. However, these recommendations were later relaxed, allowing continued land use for agriculture and other activities, which has contributed to increased landslide risks.
Climate change, deforestation, and unplanned construction activities exacerbate Kerala's landslide problem. Changing rainfall patterns, with delayed monsoons and intermittent heavy rains, have worsened the situation. Dr. TV Sajeev from the Kerala Forest Research Institute and S Abhilash from Cochin University highlight that concentrated spells of heavy rain due to global warming lead to devastating floods and landslides.
Human activities, such as construction in vulnerable areas, further aggravate the risk. Experts say overburdened soil becomes unstable during monsoons, triggering debris flows. Blocking natural drainage channels with buildings and contour bunds increases pore pressure, causing landslides.