The Lethal Landslides of Kerala, India
By Chloe Phan
On that tragic Tuesday morning of July 30, 2024, prolonged heavy rain gave rise to one of the most staggering natural disasters the state of Kerala, India has ever seen. The steep slopes accentuating the mountainous terrain only aided the heavy floods/landslides that took place shortly after the downpour. Entire villages were destroyed and hundreds of lives lost as rescuers waded through the extensive scope of mud, debris, and bodies.
Before the dreadful landslides occurred, the Wayanad district of Kerala was quickly becoming a hot spot for many to visit because not only do the villages house hundreds of locals, but also hundreds of tourists as well. Both domestic and foreign tourists often travel to India, seeking a closer connection with nature. As a result, India continues to rapidly build various resorts and attractions across the country to promote said tourism. To further modernize their country, India develops such infrastructures in even their most ecologically fragile environments, putting the people and their surroundings at severe risk of disasters. With the abrupt growth in the industry, several parts of India has actually seen overtourism. For instance, the favorable tourist destination of Wayanad saw a significant influx in people. Last year, they received over a million tourist visits—more than the district can currently handle. Even though the government warned against overdevelopment in the fragile mountain ranges, not much has been done to prevent people from traveling in. The industry’s growth in tourism combined with India’s poorly planned infrastructures in fragile areas raises the likelihood of peril, Wayanad’s landslides being a clear example.
But how does the growing tourism industry so heavily impact those residing there? Well, to accommodate the growth, the former scenic terrain composed of forests, hills, and wetlands have faced ongoing, irreversible destruction. Commercial interference exposes environments to worse flooding and landslides, especially in areas that are already prone to intense weather such as heavy rainfall.
For quite some time, experts have been warning of Tuesday’s disaster many years beforehand. Committees alerted state governments to restrict the excess expansion, cautioning how it is slowly corroding the land, putting several villages and several hundred people at risk. Yet, greed displaced the desire for preservation. Ignoring the reports, states continued their development to fulfill their cravings of profit. This is why many speculate the reason for the terrible landslides had to be related to the reckless tourism industry. (yahoo!news)
With tourism levels still high, heavy downpours that hit the region triggered flooding and was met with deathly landslides, wiping out entire villages and leaving nothing but remains. The residents that survived came out to see what was left of their home. Many locals tried their best to search for missing bodies, hopefully finding some survivors. Although, some were not so lucky, uncovering their loved ones’ lifeless bodies. (The Washington Post)
Currently, the search continues to recover the missing bodies. Although hopes are dwindling for many people in finding their loved ones alive. The death toll continues to rise as the Kerala minister claimed it to have reached 231 people as of August 12, with many still missing (Business Standard). Hundreds of volunteers, firefighters, policemen, etc. have been working tirelessly after the incident. Many were orphaned, many torn apart from family, and many left with no home or place to go. It is immensely devastating how many were impacted from this one major landslide. Lives were truly changed that Tuesday morning of July 30.
Works Cited
Bloomberg. “India’s deadly landslides expose country’s weak project planning: ‘disasters in the making.’” South China Morning Post, South China Morning Post Publishers, 2024, scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3272689/indias-deadly-landslides-expose-countrys-weak-project-planning-disasters-making?campaign=3272689&module=perpetual_scroll_0&pgtype=article. Accessed 14 Aug, 2024.
PA, Aneesa. “THE DEADLY DELUGE OF WAYANAD.” The Print, Printline Media, 2024, theprint.in/india/wayanad-landslides-kerala-maps-images-videos/2220452/. Accessed 14 Aug, 2024.
Timsit, Annabelle and Gupta, Anant. “Landslides, heavy rains kill at least 116 in south India’s Kerala state.” The Washington Post, The Washington Post, 1996-2024. www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/07/30/wayanad-kerala-india-landslides-floods/. Accessed 14, Aug 2024.
Vengattil, Munsif, et al. “How missed warnings, 'over-tourism' aggravated deadly India landslides.” yahoo!news, Yahoo, 2024. www.yahoo.com/news/missed-warnings-over-tourism-aggravated-124250492.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAGQiftynFh5iO7oij7LPdaQFBkKlLZKqEkSycF_8LRkZJZkt_xLhCiqgtsqJHKNb-4qijT0H8PcMKv3bFusucC9fJwvAvQXi_GIRHHFi84NXuiRMtv8v6_PPqal3qCBuO7HRbe7eG9lQDMrAQ-KrsUENZGMCEnMhcoPFqOmvxZfz. Accessed 14, Aug 2024.
“Wayanad landslides: Death toll rises to 231, says Kerala minister.” Business Standard, Business Standard Private, 2024. www.business-standard.com/india-news/wayanad-landslides-death-toll-rises-to-231-says-kerala-minister-124081201760_1.html. Accessed 14 Aug, 2024.
