Nine village blocks fall in medium, eight are relatively highly sensitive while 32 blocks, including the landslide-hit area under jurisdiction of Meppadi, have been classified as critically sensitive.
While the system, launched last year, has four categories of ecologically sensitive rating (ESR), the low sensitive rate doesn’t apply to Wayanad. Nine village blocks fall in medium, eight are relatively highly sensitive while 32 blocks, including the landslide-hit area under jurisdiction of Meppadi, have been classified as critically sensitive.
Prof T V Ramachandra, who spearheaded the initiative to develop the system, said large- scale land use changes due to anthropogenic activities like developmental projects and encroachments in ecologically fragile regions were the major reason for the landslide.
“Conversion of native species forests into monoculture plantations of rubber, coffee, tea and other commercial plants will lead to loss of soil binding capability due to removal of native species. The rampant construction works and quarries add to the problem,” he said, adding that the consequent global warming has led to change in precipitation patterns with recurring instances of high intensity rain.
Quarries continue
Data from Kerala’s State Environment Impact Assessment Authority shows that environment clearance was granted to at least 19 proposals for quarrying between October 2019 and December 2023. Quarrying, which includes blasting of rocks, has been found to be a major factor leading to landslides.
Experts have warned that the land use changes caused by such works in the fragile ecosystem of Wayanad will lead to more disasters in the coming days of weather