Wayanad tragedy: Tourism's role

'ഒഡീഷയിൽ നിന്ന് വയനാട്ടിലെത്തിയ ‍ഡോക്ടർമാരിൽ ഒരാൾ കാണാമറയത്ത്, പ്രതിശ്രുത വധു വെന്റിലേറ്ററിൽ' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eNJhArSge8 https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/wayanad-landslides-factors-nature-man-made-kerala-western-ghats-disaster-prone-climate-change-sea-warming-2574272-2024-07-31 Not just nature's fury, man's greed too behind Wayanad tragedy Climate change is resulting in towering cumulonimbus clouds over Kerala that bring sudden bursts of heavy rainfall. Around 50% of Kerala is on slopes of more than 20 degrees and has loose topsoil. Add to these construction activities in vulnerable areas, and you have a tragedy, like in Wayanad, waiting to strike. A ropeway being used to shift an injured person to a hospital after landslides hit several villages in Kerala's Wayanad district. (PTI Photo) Not too far from the serene Edakkal Caves and the majestic Soochipara Falls in Kerala, where tourists flock to seek peace and tranquillity, and embrace pristine nature, a disaster struck in the early hours of Tuesday. The idyllic landscape of Kerala's Wayanad turned into a scene of chaos and despair. At least 150 people lost their lives. In the dead of night, two hours past midnight, a series of massive landslides unleashed their fury upon several villages of north Kerala's Wayanad district. If the initial onslaught in the dark wasn't devastating enough, relentless heavy rains on Tuesday morning compounded the chaos. It severely hampered the rescue efforts. The catastrophic landslides left a harrowing trail of destruction and death, claiming at least 150 lives. Hundreds lie severely injured in hospitals, while countless others remain missing, trapped beneath the debris. For now, the survivors cling to hope as rescue teams battle to save the remaining people. The tragedy in Wayanad, the latest in a series of natural calamities in Kerala such as landslides, floods, and flash floods in recent years, has raised pressing questions about the role of climate change and human activities in exacerbating such disasters. In July 2022, the Ministry of Earth Sciences informed the Lok Sabha that Kerala had seen the highest number of major landslides in the country over the past seven years. Of the 3,782 landslides recorded between 2015 and 2022, approximately 59.2%, or 2,239, occurred in God's Own Country. In 2018, devastating floods in Kerala killed over 400 people across the state. In 2021, dozens perished due to multiple landslides and floods in Kerala's Kottayam and Idukki districts. Additionally, rain-related incidents such as landslides and flash floods claimed many lives in 2022, with the Climate Report of India, of the India Meteorological Department saying that extreme weather events claimed 32 lives in Kerala that year. Between 1961 and 2016, landslides claimed 295 lives, according to S Sreekumar, a disaster risk consultant, reported Frontline magazine. As scientists and experts delve deeper into the causes, a combination of natural and human factors emerge as clear contributors to the devastating pattern that engulfs Kerala every year. Climate change and altering global weather patterns is another alarming factor that adds to their plight. TOPOGRAPHY AND SOIL MAKE KERALA VULNERABLE Wayanad, with its unique topography, is particularly vulnerable to landslides. Around 50% of Kerala's terrain is characterised by slopes of more than 20 degrees, making it prone to soil erosion and landslides, according to a report by the Kerala State Planning Board. The loose topsoil on rocks in these areas further exacerbates the risk. "An increase in rainfall intensity may suggest a rising probability of landslides in the high to mid-land slopes of the Western Ghats in eastern Kerala during the monsoon seasons," S Abhilash, the director of Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Research at Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) told news agency PTI. When heavy rainfall hits the slopes, the soil becomes saturated, leading to devastating landslides like the one recently witnessed in Wayanad. HUMAN ACTIVITIES HAVE WORSENED SITUATION IN KERALA Given the region of north Kerala is an ecological hotspot, tourism has thrived over the years too. Human activity, particularly construction of hotels, restaurants and bed and breakfasts in the vulnerable areas, have significantly contributed to the tragedy. "A lot of construction activities are happening in our state [Kerala] in vulnerable areas. We built more roads and culverts. However, even now, our engineering structures are being built based on the amount of rainfall and intensity of rainfall in older days. There is a need to rethink new or added risk factors while constructing roads or culverts. We are not providing room for the river in many places and this is an important factor for flash floods. Our unscientific construction mechanisms are major causes of the destruction we are facing," Dr S Sreekumar, a Kerala-based disaster risk expert, told The Week magazine. Girish Gopinath, the head of the department of climate variability and aquatic ecosystems at Cochin's KUFOS told The New Indian Express that "human activities on the periphery of the high ranges of Wayand and Idukki are a major factor contributing to landslides". Calling the Wayanad Disaster "a man-made tragedy", Sajnu Verma, a National Spokesperson of BJP, wrote on X, that it was a result of "forests, hills, trees being cut rampantly to make way for lodges, resorts and hotels". "The Wayanad landslide is also a grim reminder of illegal quarrying in the region," he alleged. The rapid growth of infrastructure has led to the destabilisation of topsoil. This, combined with the natural instability of the terrain, has created a perfect storm for landslides. CLIMATE CHANGE ADDS TO BOILING CAULDRON Climate Change, the most pressing challenge that the human race faces now, has also added to the tragedy. Due to the formation of towering cumulonimbus clouds over Kerala, enabled by the warming of the southeast Arabian Sea, it has made the region "thermodynamically unstable", according to S Abhilash, a Cochin-based climate scientist. "This atmospheric instability, allowing the formation of deep clouds, is linked to climate change. Earlier, this kind of rainfall was more common in the northern Konkan belt, north of Mangalore," Abhilash told news agency PTI. With climate change, that rain-bearing belt with deep clouds is extending southward and this is the main reason behind such extremely heavy rainfall, he said. These clouds are known for their ability to bring sudden and intense bursts of heavy rainfall, and the increased frequency and severity of such weather events are a direct consequence of rising global temperatures. The current warming trend is unequivocally the result of human activities since the 1950s and is proceeding at an unprecedented rate over millennia, says Nasa, the American space research body. A DECADE OF MADHAV GADGIL REPORT AND INACTION The Madhav Gadgil Committee Report, recommended that 64% of the Western Ghats be designated as ecologically sensitive zones. The report specifically highlighted the need to protect Kerala's highly sensitive areas, which were marked for no-development, and criticised the state government for ignoring these recommendations. https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/kerala-wayanad-landslide-died-308-people-tourist-problem-hotels-resorts-ecologically-fragile-area-2575708-2024-08-02 Paradise lost to tourism: Greed behind Wayanad landslide tragedy? Tourism accounts for 10% of Kerala's economy. The state has promoted itself as a tourist destination, which has resulted in rising footfalls over the years. Wayanad, too, saw rampant construction of buildings and resorts in eco-sensitive areas. The landslides in Wayand that killed over 300 are a reminder that a balance needs to be struck. As tourism is rapidly increasing in Wayanad, it is causing environmental degradation and leading to an increase in landslides. (Image: Getty) Priyanjali Narayan Priyanjali Narayan New Delhi,UPDATED: Aug 2, 2024 17:09 IST In Short Between 1961 and 2016, landslides claimed over 295 lives in Kerala Experts say rise in tourism responsible for environmental degradation People are asking why so many resorts, hotels were allowed in Wayanad Beneath a canopy of green and glow, where emerald backwater drifts, is God's own country, Kerala. The beauty and calm associated with Kerala was shattered by a landslide in Wayanad which has claimed the lives of 308 people. This is not the only instance of a landslide in the state. In 2021, several people were killed in landslides in Kerala's Kottayam and Idukki districts. Kerala also experienced catastrophic flooding in 2018, which killed over 400 people. But why is Kerala facing such disasters which are taking the lives of many? Is tourism, one of Kerala's biggest sources of income, to blame for the recent landslide? A cloudburst washed away houses and trapped people. The first landslide struck in Meppani, Mundakkai Town and Chooral Mala. A nearby bridge used to enter Attamala in Mundakkai also collapsed. Experts have had no doubts that what happened in Wayanad is a man-made disaster. One important factor contributing to this is the rapid movement of tourists in Kerala. This has led to the building of resorts and hotels in Kerala. This rampant construction comes at a price. Between 1961 and 2016, landslides killed over 295 people in Kerala, according to S Sreekumar, a disaster risk consultant, reported Frontline magazine. Areas suffering from landslides are ecologically fragile and are overwhelmed by tourism efforts and deforestation. This has led to landslides and floods in several areas of Kerala. RAPID INCREASE OF TOURISTS IN KERALA RESPONSIBLE FOR TRAGEDY Kerala has promoted itself vigorously for tourism and seen a jump in tourist footfalls. According to Kerala Tourism Statistics, 1,88,67,414 domestic tourists visited Kerala in 2022 and 75, 37,617 in 2021. It was 150% growth year-on-year. Tourism contributes about 10% to Kerala's economy or its Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP). It also creates jobs and promotes traditional industries. This large number of tourists come to Kerala each year due to its beaches, hill stops and backwaters. With a rapid increase in tourism, human activity, particularly construction of hotels, restaurants and bed and breakfasts (B&B) in high risk areas, have significantly contributed to these disasters which take the lives of many. Several experts have discussed how tourism in the ecologically fragile area has contributed to the landslides claiming the lives of many. "We deeply mourn the tragic deaths in the Wayanad landslide/mudslides in Kerala. However, it may not be too early to ask whether indiscriminate construction, especially related to tourism, in this eco-fragile region was the cause of this disaster, or was it just unprecedented rain?", tweeted KBS Sidhu, an ex-IAS officer. According to a research paper on the impact of tourism on Wayanad by Philip Varghese and Yoji Natori, the emergence of tourism in the area has led to the decline of traditional livelihoods and contributed to environmental degradation. "The emergence of tourism coincided with the decline of traditional livelihoods in Wayanad, exacerbating environmental degradation. Overcrowding in national parks and wildlife sanctuaries disturbs wildlife, while uncontrolled construction for tourism exacerbates residents’ concerns," mentions the paper. They also found out how the agricultural land was being converted into hotels and resorts. Skyscraper flats were also constructed illegally in the ecologically fragile areas of Vythiri and Kalpetta. Tourism-linked indiscriminate construction has also led to an agrarian crisis and increasing man-animal conflict. The variety of traditional crops which can offer resilience to climate change are not encouraged any more. This has made agriculture unsustainable. It is also leading to a rise in human-animal conflicts in the area. The paper reveals that since 2014, 149 deaths have been recorded in the area due to these conflicts. In 2022-23, 98 such deaths were recorded along with 8,873 attacks. Between 2017-23, 20,957 incidents of crop damage due to wildfire have been reported, resulting in a loss of over 1,000 animals. PEOPLE SPEAK UP ABOUT WAYANAD'S TOURISM PROBLEM The Kerala Tourism site says Wayanad is famous for its camping and hiking trails, breathtaking waterfalls, caves and bird-watching sites. The area, it says, has been a tourist favourite over the years. People who have visited Wayanad recently realise how the ecological balance is being disturbed by tourism and construction. "Sad to see this. Even as a layman, whenever I visited Wayanad, I always worried about the ecological balance being disturbed by tourism and construction. Now understand there was an expert report on this. Sad!," tweeted D Prasanth Nair, an HR professional who visited Wayanad. Wayanad has become the favourite spot of tourists now. This comes with consequences for the ecologically fragile region. "Earlier, when you searched travel sites about Kerala tourism, we used to see more of Allepy Munnar Thekkady. Nowadays, search results are flooded with Wayanad resorts! That tells the story of exploitation in a fragile environment !!," tweeted Chegunta Domadar Reddy about the landslide. People also questioned how these resorts and hotels get government clearance. "No idea who gives environmental clearances. The entire Vythiri belt there are multiple adventure / amusement parks that have cropped up, anything from a glass bridge to a copycat of Bali swing. 18–20 years ago, tourism in Wayanad was nature+culture. Foreign tourists visited to watch the rain," tweeted another user on X. Rapid tourism growth in Wayanad became detrimental to the life and livelihoods of the people there. Though Kerala's economy depends on tourism, it will need to strike a balance between its needs and ecological safety.