The southern state of Kerala in India has been under a consistent attack of an enormous series of landslides over the past few days, described by many as colossal. The hilly landscape with its lush green cover is one of the reasons for Wayanad to be under consistent attacks of such natural calamities, especially in the rainy season. The landslide has disrupted the normal life, caused damage to quite several infrastructures and homes, hence the threat to safety and economic means for the people living here.
Among the worst-affected places in Wayanad are Meppadi, Kalpetta, and Vythiri. Being situated in high terrain coupled with soil erosion has aggravated the situation there. Reports said many houses were buried under the mud and debris, which felled on them, killing some people and forcing hundreds of families to be homeless. Full-force rescue operation by locals, NDRF, volunteers is underway to evacuate thousands of residents stranded in the rising waters and provide them immediate relief.
The State Government of Kerala mobilized all its available resource pool to support the affected population and arranged relief camps for the same people who have suffered under these calamities. The distributed materials were the most basic in nature—food, water, and medicines—though the challenges are still enormous because of undulating terrains that make it difficult for the rescue teams to access and the aid can still be delayed for some time.
In addition, damage to roads, bridges, and other critical infrastructure has also been assessed to allow for timely reparations. The state administration is pulling together the various agencies for an integrated response in order to avoid further risks to public safety.
Apart from providing immediate relief, there is also an increased recognition of the fact that some mitigation measures have to be put in place to diffuse its impact on sensitive regions like Wayanad in the long run. This includes better land-use planning, hill slope strengthening measures, and an advance early warning system to be able to forewarn people in case of heavy rainfall.
Continuous work in the relief support being rendered by government agencies, several NGOs, and thousands of volunteers is very important at this stage to help Wayanad bounce back strongly from such a natural disaster and be prepared to stay resilient in the face of future calamities.
In this way, the landslide events in Wayanad district in the state of Kerala turn out to be a type of wake-up call with regard to the vulnerability of this region toward natural calamities and preparedness and a quick response in the conservation of lives and assets.
