In a tragic development, multiple cities & regions of Kerala observed deadly landslides killing at least 70 people in the state including Wayanad. Wayanad landslides were triggered by torrential rainfall that came into the region overnight. Rescue team reportedly recovered dead bodies of at least 70 people trapped under mud and debris in Kerala's hill district of Wayanad on Tuesday. The situation was so serious that the Indian Army was called in for rescue operations. Army has mobilised four columns, including two columns ex 122 Infantry Battalion (Territorial Army) and two ex the DSC Centre, Kannur. Two helicopters of the Indian Air Force have also been mobilised. LoP Rahul Gandhi also mentioned Wayanad landslides in the Lok Sabha.
Now, multiple horrific videos of Wayanad landslides are going viral on social media. State forest minister AK Saseendran was quoted saying that the situation is serious, and the government has pressed all agencies to assist rescue operations. Now, the question arises as to why Wayanad and its surrounding areas are so prone to deadly landslides. Below is what we know so far-
Why Wayanad is prone to landslides?
As per a 2021 study by the Geological Survey of India, 43 percent of Kerala's total area is a landslide-prone area. 74 percent of Idukki and 51 percent of Wayanad's land are hill slopes. This means the chances of landslides are very high. On top of that, there is heavy rainfall during monsoon.
The most sloping areas in the 1848 square kilometer of Kerala are in the Western Ghats. That is, Wayanad, Kozhikode, Mallapuram, Idukki, Kottayam, and Pathanamthitta districts. These districts have the highest number of landslide cases. In the year 2019, a total of eight districts of Kerala witnessed 80 landslide incidents. In just three days. 120 people were killed in this. In 2018, 341 major landslides occurred in ten districts. 143 landslides occurred in Idukki alone. 104 people died during that.
Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi on his X wrote, "The devastation unfolding in Wayanad is heartbreaking. I have urged the Union government in Parliament to extend all possible support, including increased compensation and its immediate release to the bereaved families. Our country has witnessed an alarming rise in landslides in recent years. The need of the hour is a comprehensive action plan to address the growing frequency of natural calamities in our ecologically fragile regions."