GS3/Disaster Management

What is Landslide?

A landslide is the downward movement of rock, soil, and debris on a slope due to gravity. It occurs when the stability of the slope is compromised, leading to a mass of earth material sliding or collapsing.

Primary Causes behind wayanad landslide-

• Kerala is prone to heavy rains and flooding, with an estimated 14.5 percent of land area seen as vulnerable. The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has identified 1,848 square kilometres, 4.75 percent of the state’s total area, as High Landslide Hazard Zone.
• The State lies in seismic zone III which corresponds to Moderate Damage Risk Zone (MSK VII).

Heavy rainfall

• Intense rainfall, a delicate ecosystem highly susceptible to landslides, and growing population pressures all contributed to the occurrence of numerous landslides.
• The area experienced over 140 mm of rain in just 24 hours from Monday to Tuesday morning, which is approximately five times the usual amount.
• Heavy rains during the monsoon season trigger landslides in Kerala almost every year.

Hilly terrain with sharp slopes

• The entire western Kerala, characterized by its hilly terrain and steep slopes, is prone to landslides.
• The landslide atlas published by the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) National Remote Sensing Centre in 2023 reveals that Kerala is home to 10 of the 30 districts most susceptible to landslides in India, with Wayanad ranked 13th.
• The terrain here has two distinctive layers, a layer of soil sitting atop hard rocks.
• When heavy rainfall occurs, the soil becomes saturated with moisture, allowing water to seep into the rocks and flow between the soil and rock layers.
• This weakens the force that binds the soil to the rocks and triggers the movement.

Loss of green cover

• A 2021 study on landslide-prone areas in India found that 59 percent of all landslides in Kerala took place in plantation regions.
• Deforestation exacerbates the vulnerability of the terrain, particularly in the Western Ghats, which are prone to heavy rainfall.

Climate Change

• Climate scientists have identified the warming of the Arabian Sea as a factor contributing to the state’s unusually heavy and erratic rainfall patterns.
• The warming of the southeast Arabian Sea is leading to increased atmospheric instability over this region, including Kerala.
• This leads to intense rainfall in short bursts, heightening the risk of landslides, particularly when these downpours affect land areas.

Gadgil committee recommendation

Ministry of Environment and Forests of India appointed Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) chaired by Madhav Gadgil,( known as the Gadgil Commission )2010, commission submitted its report to the Government of India on 31 August 2011. Gadgil report recommendations are as follows:-

• The panel recommended a National-level authority, Western Ghats Ecology Authority (WGEA).
• It also recommended the entire region as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA).
• The region needed to be divided into zones based on their ecological sensitivity, where the most vulnerable sections needed to be monitored and protected him from rampant commercial activity.
• The report recommended classifying 64 percent of the Western Ghats into Ecologically Sensitive Zones called ESZ 1, ESZ 2 and ESZ 3.
• Based on the degree of sensitivity, the Western Ghats region is divided into 3 zones respectively- ESZ-1 is highest priority zone, which restricts nearly all developmental activities, while in ESZ-2 and in ESZ-3 some developmental activity relaxations are given.
• Almost all developmental activities like mining, construction of thermal power plants, and dams were to stop along with the decommissioning of similar projects that have completed their shelf life in ESZ 1. 
• The panel suggested that 75% of the 129,037 sq. km area of the mountain range be classified as ecologically sensitive due to its dense forests, numerous endemic species, and unique geological features.
• Ban on growing single commercial crops: Crops like tea, coffee, cardamom, rubber, banana and pineapple, which have led to “fragmentation of forest, soil erosion, and degradation of river ecosystems and toxic contamination of the environment”, should be curtailed.
• The panel had urged the Ministry of Environment and Forests for Community participation, and to take critical steps to involve citizens, including proactive and sympathetic implementation of the provisions of the Community Forest Resources of the Forest Rights Act.
• Despite being made 14 years ago, the panel’s recommendations have not been implemented due to political, economic, and social hindrance, and report was criticised for being too environment-friendly.
• The report was considered by UNESCO, which added the 39 serial sites of the Western Ghats on the World Heritage List.

Kasturirangan committee

Kasturirangan committee was set up to examine the WGEEP report (recommended by-Gadgil report) in August 2012.

Kasturirangan committee report Recommendations:-

• The Kasturirangan Commission has sought to balance the two concerns of development and environment protection, by watering down the environmental regulation regime proposed by the Western Ghats Ecology Experts Panel’s Gadgil report in 2012.
• The Kasturirangan report seeks to bring just 37% of the Western Ghats under the Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) zones — down from the 64% suggested by the Gadgil report
• Kasturirangan report on the Western Ghats has made several pro-farmer recommendations, including the exclusion of inhabited regions and plantations from the purview of ecologically sensitive areas (ESAs).
• The Kasturirangan report had said 123 villages fall under the ESA purview.

Western Ghats

• The Western Ghats is a 1,600-km long mountain chain along the west coast of India running from the river Tapi in the north to Kanyakumari in the south.
  It covers six states — Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. About 60 percent of the mountain range is in Karnataka.
  Significance: These Ghats are home to high mountain forests, which moderate the tropical climate of the region. They are home to 325 globally threatened flora, fauna, bird, amphibian, and reptile and fish species. 
  Western Ghats were accorded the World Heritage Status by UNESCO in 2012.

Measures and action taken by Indian govt.          

• The Disaster Management Act, of 2005 provides a comprehensive legal and institutional framework for the management of various disasters including landslides.
• The National Landslide Risk Management Strategy (2019) covers all aspects of landslide disaster risk reduction and management, such as hazard mapping, monitoring, and early warning systems.
• The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued Guidelines on Landslide Hazard Management (2009) that outline the steps that should be taken to reduce the risk of landslides.
• The National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) has been providing capacity building and other support to various national and state-level disaster management authorities.
• Early Warning system: Efforts have been made towards better prediction of weather. E.g. Ensemble Prediction System. This will help predict disasters like landslides.

Conclusion-

• Although landslides present a major challenge, taking proactive steps can mitigate their effects. As we face climate change and environmental degradation, it is crucial to understand and manage landslide risks effectively.
• In dealing with these natural events, prioritizing research, early warning systems, and sustainable land-use practices is essential. This approach can help minimize the impact of landslides and safeguard at-risk communities.

Source- Indian express, The Hindu