Who is to be Blamed for the Wayanad Landslide Disaster?
Dismal Failure to Learn Lessons of Past Disasters
The answer to the question “Who is to be Blamed for the massive Wayanad Landslide Disaster that swept away large parts of Mundakkai and Chooralmala in Meppadi grama panchayat in Kerala “ is simple.
Geologist Dr K Soman has comprehensively explained the geological factors that caused the landslide in Vellarimala in Wayanad and the land use patterns that aggravated its impact. His unambiguous comment that “Water has memory, it remembers the paths it used to once flow along”, is relevant to all disaster prone areas in India.
Man, not Nature, is squarely responsible for the current Wayanad disaster. For example, the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), also known as the Gadgil Commission, submitted the report recommending 64% under the Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) zone to the Government of India on 31 August 2011. The latest Uttarakhand disaster is man's insatiable greed.
When certain sections of people, particularly farmers in the region, in Kerala strongly protested the implementation of the report highlighting that the Gadgil Commission report was excessively environment-friendly and not in tune with the ground realities, the Kasturirangan Commission that followed brought down the ESA to just 37% of the Western Ghats.
So, “People residing in disaster prone area” are to be blamed followed by the “Civil Society therein”. Next, the Kerala State Government and the local Civil administration for according various sanctions to build houses and road infrastructure in the declared ESA. Not to be left out of consideration are the local MP and the MLAs.
Most importantly, the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) that works with the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) are to be squarely blamed. For the KSDMA roles are to “Monitor and plan, Respond to disasters, and Minimize the effects of disasters.” The DDMA's responsibilities include: Setting up early warning systems; Preparing response plans; Identifying relief centers and Establishing stockpiles of materials.
For, they are conjointly responsible for ensuring effective implementation of the much touted strategy of prevention and mitigation followed by the 4Rs – Rescue, Relief, Rehabilitation and Resettlement. Never too late than never! The Central government has reiterated the notification declaring the disaster areas of Western Ghats.
Irrefutable facts: Year after year or precisely season after season, the story of disasters makes media headlines. Disasters include: Cyclone, Floods, Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Droughts, Wild Fires, etc.
Let me reproduce the Proverb “Man plans; God Laughs. None of the natural disasters give early warning about the exact time and scale of their devastations. And nothing illustrates the power of the universe over the mortals more than natural disasters.”
In retrospect, climate change and rising temperatures forewarn that the Earth is more prone to disasters occurring; India is no exception. Even USA, China, Japan and others are no exception. As per the report by the World Meteorological Organization, in 2023, Asia faced the most disasters in the world as 79 events associated with extreme weather, climate, and water-related hazards affected over nine million people in the region, directly killing over 2,000 people - over 80% due to flood and storm events.
Who does not know that Himalayas fall in seismic Zone V and IV category– highly vulnerable to disasters. Even a school going kid knows about it; but our leaders turn a blind eye to it. Major fault structures like the Main Frontal Thrust, Main Boundary Thrust and Main Central Thrust, all splay branches of the Main Himalayan Thrust, accommodate the shortening rate as India is pushing into Asia.
Tropical cyclones are a regular annual feature along the East Coast. On average severe cyclones occur every two to five years; very severe cyclones every ten years; and extremely severe cyclones with storm surges every twenty years. Meteorologists cannot accurately predict where and when they will strike and in what shape and intensity. One thing is certain, wherever they will strike, they will certainly unleash a trail of devastation and destruction of not only humans, but also animals and crops.
If so, It was destined to happen due to man’s greed. No point in blaming game politics. For today, technology enables on the click of the mouse the satellite picture of weather conditions over disaster prone areas particularly the Western Ghats, Eastern Sea Coast and the Himalayas. So, residents of such disaster prone areas must “Act First” and relocate themselves to safer areas rather than staying in them to face nature’s fury.
Next, the State Government and the District Administration must forewarn people and facilitate their early movement to “Rehabilitation Camps”.
Be that as it may, the Wayanad landslide Disaster pales into insignificance when compared to other major disasters in the past. Ipso facto, not a single year has passed without disasters since the 1990s - over 40 listed disasters during the past 44-years. The major ones include: 2001 Gujarat Earthquake (Over 20,000 people dead, 1,50,000 injured and 1,59,00,000 affected, 12.54 lakh houses damaged and loss of ₹ 21,262 crores); 2004 Tsunami/ Tide waves (Over 10,749 people dead, 5,640 people expected missing); in 1999 Cyclone Odisha, 9887 were dead and 1.8 million hectare crop area and 1.6 million houses damaged; in 1990 Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu Cyclone, 928 people were dead and loss was estimated at ₹ 22.47 billion; in 1993 floods in the Northern region, 1643 were dead and loss was estimated at ₹ 21.06 billion; and in 1996 Cyclone Andhra Pradesh, 1058 were dead and loss to property was estimated at ₹ 61.26 billion.
Add to them, other disaster to include; 2008 Kosi floods North Bihar (527 dead and 19323 livestock perished, 3.3 million persons affected); 2010 Cloud-burst Leh, Ladakh; 2011 Earthquake North Eastern India, and Floods; 2012 Cyclone Nilam Tamil Nadu; 2013 Cyclone Mahasen Tamil Nadu, Floods in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, Cyclone Phailin and floods in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh; 2014 Cyclone Hud Hud; 2015 Cyclonic Storms West Bengal; 2016 Cyclonic Storm Tamil Nadu; 2017 Lightning Odisha and Maharashtra; 2018 Floods and Heavy Rains Kerala and Uttar Pradesh; and 2019 Floods and Heavy Rains Bihar, Maharashtra and Kerala.
In contrast with major disasters in the past, the Wayanad disaster pales into insignificance by the criteria of numbers dead and estimated loss of property. Why the media cacophony over the latest “Wayanad landslide Disaster”? Just because of politics of the VVIP constituency scheduled to elect a new MP that is probably Priyanka Vadra Ghandy!
The usual response by political leaders is simple – undertake aerial surveys followed by ground visits for photo opportunities and indulge in blame games. And, the State Governments usually project estimated losses many times over the real losses and blame the Central Government for non-allocation of funds to the States. Announcing packages and declaring them as a “National Calamities” cannot bring back the lives and shattered families and individuals.
So, none can blame the aerial survey of Chief Minister of Kerala followed by overseeing rescuing operations. Not to be seen left behind, Rahul Ghandy and Priyanka Vadra Ghandy – the High Command stalwarts – have visited the disaster area.
Why were not political leaders, particularly local level, as a class not seen in the forefront of rescue operations with local means available at their behest? They excel at inciting and mobilizing crowds to organize protests, providing refuge to militants and indulging in stone throwing on the streets; but their total silence in the case of deluge is inexplicable. Is their role only limited to destructive and venomous diatribe against the Central government?
In retrospect, successive governments from 1947 are responsible for the repetitive and regular occurrence of disasters. Let none have doubts on the above issue. Due to man’s insatiable greed – nexus of real estate barons and political leaders - and vote bank politics, political loggerheads refuse to learn from the lessons of past disasters. No escape, therefore, from visitation of annual disaster visitations.
Of course after the Tsunami disaster in 2004, the MHA was declared as the nodal ministry for the coordination of relief, response and overall DM. The Disaster Management Act, 2005, (DM Act) was enacted on 23 December 2005. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), a statutory body under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister, was set up. The National Executive Committee (NEC) is statutorily mandated to assist the NDMA.
The policy formulated by the NDMA focuses on five key areas to include: community-based DM, including last mile integration of the policy, plans and execution; promote capacity development in all related areas; consolidation of past initiatives and best practices; encourages cooperation with agencies at national, regional and international levels; and compliance and coordination to generate a multi-sectoral synergy; . The national vision promulgated is “to build a safer and disaster resilient India by developing a holistic, proactive, multi-disaster and technology-driven strategy for disaster management through collective efforts of all Government Agencies and NGOs''. Its focus is to usher a paradigm shift from relief-centric approach to a proactive regime that lays greater emphasis on preparedness, prevention and mitigation. Has anything changed?
The focus of NDMA guidelines includes: Promote culture of prevention and preparedness – by centre-staging DM as an overriding priority at all levels; Encouraging mitigation measures based on state-of-the-art technology and environmental sustainability; Mainstreaming DM concerns into the development planning process; Putting in place a streamlined institutional techno-legal framework in order to create and preserve the integrity of an enabling regulatory environment and a compliance regime; Developing contemporary forecasting and early warning systems backed by responsive and fail-safe communications and Information Technology (IT) support; Promoting a productive partnership with the Media, NGOs and the Corporate Sector; Ensuring efficient response and relief with a caring humane approach towards the vulnerable sections of the society; and, Making reconstruction an opportunity to build back better and construct disaster-resilient structures and habitats.
As per the mandate, the NEC has issued the national plan after getting it approved by the NDMA. The National Disaster Reaction Force (NDRF) has been created and deployed to play a pivotal role in specialized response to a threatening disaster situation or disaster.
At the provincial/state level, the SDMAs are established by the state governments under the direct control of the Chief Ministers to lay down policies and plans for DM in the state will, inter-alia, approve the state plan in accordance with the guidelines laid down by the NDMA, and coordinate its implementation. The Chief Secretary of the state heads the state level executive committee, which has the overall responsibility for relief operations in the state. At the district level, it is the collector/district magistrate/deputy commissioner who exercises powers over all the departments at the district level.
Most important to note, that the focus is on prevention, mitigation and preparedness. If they had been implemented, the Wayanad disaster could have been avoided. Also, all of them make tall claims of a paradigm shift - a holistic, proactive, multi-disaster and technology driven disaster strategy reinforcing traditional 4Rs – Rescue, Relief, Rehabilitation and Resettlement.
Now, following Wayanad landslide disaster, the Central government has issued the sixth iteration of a draft notification, declaring 56,825.7 sq km of the Western Ghats an ecologically sensitive area (ESA) in the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Let me also reiterate that the draft notification declaring ESA over Western Ghats was first issued in March 2014, based on suggestions by the High-Level Working Group (HLWG), which was formed by the Centre in 2012. The HLWG panel, headed by space scientist K Kasturirangan, reviewed suggestions in a report prepared by the Madhav Gadgil-led expert committee on ESAs and reduced the area from 67% to 37% .
In April 2022, the Centre formed another panel to “re-examine suggestions by these six state governments…, keeping in view the conservation aspects of the disaster-prone pristine ecosystem, as well as rights, privileges, needs and developmental aspirations of the region”. Why did the State government allow construction activity adjacent to mountain streams and rivers besides roads in landslide/landslip prone “ESA areas?”
Now, the notification has been reissued after the previous draft, notified on July 6, 2022, lapsed; the Centre and these six states have not arrived at a consensus on the extent of ESA to be demarcated in the ecological hotspot. The ESAs proposed across these states are spread over 449 sq km in Gujarat, Maharashtra (17,340 sq km), Goa (1,461 sq km), Karnataka (20,668 sq km), Tamil Nadu (6,914 sq km), and Kerala (9,993.7 sq km). The Centre has provided a window of 60 days to submit objections and suggestions on the draft. So, Jairam Ramesh’s criticism is aimed at scoring brownie points.
A brief review of media’s ongoing oft repeated sensationalism of Delhi’s Deluge after every rain in the same season. Poor and ineffective urban planning to include execution of anti flood control measures like bunds and drainage works, indiscriminate encroachment over marshlands, indiscriminate and illegal construction activities in flood prone areas by the nexus of real estate hawks-Netas-Babus are the oft repetitive reasons for floods in the cities. As per environmentalists, the vast network of water bodies that characterized megapolises has just vanished. As per confirmed reports, virtually every one of the flood-hit areas can be linked to ill-planned construction. Also, it is a rank failure of not constructing storm water drain pipeline systems having built roads and creating cement jungles thereby depriving soil absorption of water. So also, it is the case in almost all cities to include Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and even Pune and Nagpur.
Officials claim that the cities have a disaster management plan. Many of them lack an adequate drainage network. “Despite several crores being allocated for storm water drains (SWD), only a fraction of roads are accompanied by SWD. Also, many Metropolitan Development Authority’s authorize built-up spaces with utter disregard to hydrology. And, they reclassify water bodies and encourage construction of houses.
Even after realizing the seismic vulnerability of the Himalayas, cement jungles on mountains are being created and hydro-electric projects executed. Similarly, setting up Special Economic Zones (SEZ) hugging sea coasts prone to cyclones. Most importantly, deforestation of pristine centuries old jungles for the sake of decorating a household with decorative plywood boards is real. So, with the first monsoon downpour, floods of River Brahmaputra ravage major parts of Assam.
Finally, if SEZ and IT parks are considered along the sea coast lines are an imperative, implement the lessons of the Netherlands and create dike systems by using sand replenishment to broaden the coast and allow it to impede the ‘storm surge’. A proactive and preemptive step would be to increase the safety norms ten-fold and increase its height appropriately.
To sum up, as usual and always, media sensationalism and blame game politics are on grand display. Political leadership blames the administrative machinery; and the bureaucracy blames the political leadership. And, then both conjointly blame the civil society. Finally, the blame is on nature. The usual blame game is played out to obfuscate the real issues. In the end, human failures get condoned or simply brushed aside as the disaster is attributed to nature’s fury.
Finally, even the latest “Wayanad Landslide Disaster” will fade away into the pages of history as yet another landmark. If the past is taken as a guide, even the lessons too would be forgotten. Shedding “Crocodile Tears” by political leadership is real and phenomenal.
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