Kerala landslide: Wayanad disaster result of illegal human habitat expansion, mining, says Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav

Scientists from Kerala and elsewhere attributed the Wayanad landslides to a deadly mix of forest cover loss and mining in the fragile terrain and climate change. Pic PTI

The Kerala government allowed "illegal human habitat expansion and mining" in the state's fragile region which resulted in the devastating landslides in Wayanad district, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Monday.

Yadav also informed news agency PTI that consultation with the states on the notification of eco-sensitive zone in the Western Ghats should be finalised soon. The environment ministry has issued six draft notifications since 2014 to declare more than 56,800 square kilometres of the Western Ghats across six states as eco-sensitive but the final notification is pending amid objections from states. Yadav said an expert panel set up in April 2022 to find a breakthrough is in "constant touch with the states" on the issue.

"As the ownership of forests is with the states, we had asked them to submit their objections and suggestions to the committee headed by Former Director General of Forest Sanjay Kumar. There should be consultation with local stakeholders too. Instead of doing this, illegal human habitat expansion and mining were allowed [in Kerala] which resulted in this natural disaster, he told PTI, referring to the Wayanad landslides.

"The Western Ghats is one of the most fragile regions in the country like the Himalayas. Serious efforts must be made to prevent disasters in such regions, and the Kerala government is also responsible for ensuring this," he said.

Last week, the Centre issued a sixth draft notification to declare more than 56,800 square kilometres of Western Ghats across six states, including 13 villages in Kerala's landslide-hit Wayanad, as Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA), and invited suggestions and objections within 60 days.

The notification was issued on July 31, a day after a series of landslides claimed over 300 lives in Wayanad.

Scientists from the state and elsewhere attributed the disaster to a deadly mix of forest cover loss, mining in the fragile terrain and climate change.

The draft notification proposes to declare 9,993.7 square kilometres (sq km) in Kerala, including 13 villages in two talukas of the landslide-hit district, ecologically sensitive.

The 13 villages include Periya, Thirunelli, Thondernad, Thrissilery, Kidanganad and Noolpuzha in Mananthavady taluka, and Achooranam Chundel, Kottappadi, Kunnathidavaka, Pozhuthana, Thariyod and Vellarimala in Vythiri taluka.

The July 30 landslides affected Vythri's Mundakkai, Chooralmala and Attamala which have not figured in draft notifications issued over the years.

Overall, the notification proposes to declare 56,825.7 sq km, including 449 sq km in Gujarat, 17,340 sq km in Maharashtra, 1,461 sq km in Goa, 20,668 sq km in Karnataka, 6,914 sq km in Tamil Nadu and 9,993.7 sq km in Kerala, eco-sensitive.

(With PTI inputs)