The Wayanad Landslide Disaster

In a small village in the state of Kerala, India, a tragedy occurred, not only to Mundakkai but to the neighbouring villages Chooramala and Attamala. The villages were struck with landslides and extremely heavy downpours in the early hours of Tuesday, 30th July 2024.

These villages are located in the hilly districts of  the Western Ghats Mountain range, making them far more vulnerable to landslides during monsoon season.

It is said that the rate of movement of the landslide was of the highest degree and it travelled for a distance of 7 km, according to the FIR, on the Wayanad Landslides by the Geological Survey of India (GSI).

The NRSC (National Remote Sensing Centre) estimated that the flow velocity in Wayanad was at 57m/sec. The heavy downpours and an enormous volume of landslide material forced the river Punpuzha to change its course.

The Current Scenario

 As of now, we know that the main bridge linking the affected towns to the nearest town has collapsed, delaying relief operations. Nevertheless, there are 53 relief camps in Wayanad for the 6759 displaced: 2501 men, 2677 women out of which twenty are pregnant, and 1581 are children, along with the 17 in Chooramala.

There are currently 400+ deceased and more than 100 missing.

Post-mortem examinations have been conducted on 212 of the victims and 140 body parts, resulting in the identification of one hundred and forty eight bodies.

The blood samples from relatives of the unidentified bodies and recovered body parts have been collected. The Kerala government, on Sunday 11th August 2024, updated the list of people missing after the landslides, which includes 130 names.

The Damage

Though it disheartens many to hear of the damage within these villages, there is no denying that it has been immense. Impacted wards 10,11 and 12 of Meppadi Gram Panchayat have affected numerous families, 1424 in 601 families in ward 10 in attamala, 1247 people in  451 families in ward 11 Mundakkai and 2162 in 671 families in ward 12, Chooralmala.

Through GIS mapping led by Uralungal Technology solutions, 25 damaged structures, including houses and other buildings, have been identified. Intense spells of rainfall are causing reduced visibility, water logging in roads, and the uprooting of trees as well as damage to crops and vegetables.

Electricity lines in the area were damaged alongside five transformers, with several having been washed away in the heavy rainfall, leading to a disruption of power supply.

The immense damage has impacted an entire township including  interstate migrant  workers, all of whom used to work as informal labourers in tea estates in Wayanad: 242 labourers from Bengal, 55 migrant workers and 15 children from Assam’s Darrang and Barpeta districts, 30  migrant workers from Madhya Pradesh, and 44 from  Jharkhand.

Relief

A notice from the Noticeboard Portal Government of  Kerala stated “The state government has declared emergency assistance for individuals affected by landslides in the Mundakai and Chooralmala areas of Wayanad district to help them relocate to new residences. Each adult family member who has lost their livelihood will receive Rs 300 per day, with support provided to up to two members per family.

Families with in-patients or long-term hospital patients will receive this benefit based on three family members. The assistance will be provided for 30 days. Additionally, each family in the relief camp will receive ten thousand rupees as emergency financial assistance.”

This will allow financial relief for those suffering from the loss of their homes and livelihood, but we do not know for how long survivors will continue to receive this.

Controversies Surrounding The Issue

There has been some dispute regarding the warnings issued before the landslides. Union home minister Amit Shah said that adequate warming had been given to Kerala, but the Government of Kerala disputes this, saying that the warning had come after damage had been done to the area.

Experts say that factors that could have triggered the landslides which have taken the lives of so many is the 570 mm of rainfall received in the region on July 31st, but some say it is due to the previous landslides and heavy rain in the region.

In conclusion, this tragedy is far from over, many to be saved and many to be returned to their families. The most we can do from the comfort of our homes is to raise awareness on this issue, so that the victims can get the help they need.