Kerala's fragile terrain, susceptible to calamities, including landslides and floods, remains a grave concern.
Published Jul 30, 2024 | 4:00 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 30, 2024 | 4:06 PM
The memories of previous landslides, like the one in Wayanad, resurface as communities grapple with the profound loss of homes and lives buried under the earth
Ahead of dawn on Tuesday, 30 July, devastating landslides struck the hilly regions near Meppadi in Kerala’s Wayanad district, with hundreds of people feared trapped beneath the debris.
The first landslide occurred around 2 am on Tuesday, followed by a second and even more catastrophic slide at approximately 4.10 am.
The situation is dire, with rescue efforts hampered by the collapse of the sole bridge connecting the affected areas. The army has been mobilised to construct a temporary bridge to facilitate access to the stranded communities.
With over 54 lives lost, the scenes evoke a haunting reminder of past disasters. Kerala’s fragile terrain, susceptible to such calamities, is a grave concern.
The memories of the landslides in the past, like in Wayanad, resurface as communities grapple with the profound loss of homes and lives buried under the earth.
This is a story of destruction and despair, of people who have lost everything beneath the soil.
Kavalappara Landslide
The Kavalappara landslide in the Malappuram district on 8 August, 2019, still haunts the people of Kerala, with the disaster standing unknown to the outside world for hours.
Rivers and streams in the area were overflowing after the heavy monsoon rains that lashed the area.
At around 8 pm on the fateful day, a part of Muthappan Hill collapsed, and a landslide rushed down, destroying a village. The full extent of the damage was only realised the next morning.
With the destruction of power and mobile networks, the news of the disaster spread slowly.
All the roads were underwater, and rescue workers could only reach the area by noon the next day.
The largest rescue and search operation ever conducted in Kerala lasted for 19 days. During this time, 48 bodies were recovered but 11 individuals are still believed to be buried underground.
Presently, 143 families from around Muthappan Hill have been successfully resettled due to significant humanitarian efforts. In Kavallappara, support from various organisations and individuals played a crucial role in this achievement.
LuLu Group Chairman MA Yusuff Ali personally funded the construction of 33 houses and contributions from the Kerala Muslim Jamaat, Ujala Group, People’s Foundation, Contractors’ Association, and others greatly facilitated the resettlement process.
Pettimudi Landslide
A year after the Kavalappara tragedy, another massive landslide took away numerous lives in another hilly terrain of Kerala, Munnar in the Idukki district.
On 6 August, 2020, at around 10.40 pm, relentless rain triggered a landslide that resulted in the catastrophe in Pettimudi’s four-line settlements.
The disaster claimed the lives of 70 people who were tea plantation workers and their relatives living in 22 houses (settlements).
The first rescue team, having been alerted to the situation, managed to reach the area around 10.00 am the following day. Communication systems in Pettimudi were severely disrupted, making it nearly impossible to alert the outside world.
Despite relentless attempts to use every available means to send out an emergency notification, the continuous rain had obliterated all access routes to Pettimudi, leaving rescuers unable to reach the site or communicate with external help.
The bodies of 66 victims were found after 19 days of search operations. Four individuals are still missing and have been declared dead by the government.
Eight families have been rescued from the disaster. Although the government has provided land in Kuttyarvally for those who were rescued and for the relatives who lost their lives in the disaster, most of them are living in various estates.
Puthumala, Wayanadu
On the night of 8 August, 2019 — the same night of the Kavalappara landslide — a devastating landslide struck Puthumala in Wayanad, claiming 17 lives.
The landslide, triggered by heavy rainfall, obliterated the Puthumala area in Meppadi. The disaster left 58 houses completely destroyed and 22 houses partially damaged.
Twelve bodies were recovered from beneath the soil, but the whereabouts of five individuals who remain missing continue to be a haunting and unresolved issue for Wayanad.
Despite extensive search efforts by disaster response teams and local volunteers, these five individuals remain buried somewhere in the soil of Puthumala.
On 16 October, 2021, a devastating downpour struck the hilly areas bordering the Idukki and Kottayam districts, casting a sombre shadow over the region.
Torrential rains triggered landslides across Kavali, Plassery, and Poovanchy in the Kootikkal-Kokkayar area of the Idukki and Kottayam districts.
At least 25 people lost their lives due to a series of landslides In Koottickal of Kottayam, two landslides at Plapalli and Kavali, located just two km apart, claimed 13 lives.
Meanwhile, in the nearby Kokkayar region of Idukki, which is only three km from Koottickal, two landslides at Makkochi and Poovanchi resulted in seven fatalities.
On the morning of 9 November, 2001, Kerala woke up to the news of a disaster.
A landslide had occurred in Amboori, a hilly area in the Thiruvananthapuram district, the capital of Kerala. This disaster claimed the lives of 39 people from six families.
The landslide in Amboori was particularly shocking for the residents of the capital district, as they had never heard of such an event before and had not experienced anything similar in the vicinity.
The house of CD Thomas, a rubber trader in Amboori, where a large number of people had gathered for his son’s engagement ceremony, was completely swept away.
Friends and relatives of the family lost their lives in the tragedy, and most of the bodies recovered were crushed and mutilated.
Victor George
Victor George, a celebrated photographer of the Malayalam daily Malayala Manorama, tragically lost his life on 9 July, 2001, while covering the aftermath of a devastating landslide.
On that day, Victor had journeyed from Kottayam to report on a landslide in the Venniyani hill in Udumbannoor, near Thodupuzha, in the Idukki district, which had already claimed three lives.
That afternoon, heavy rains caused another landslide, resulting in Victor’s death. His body was found two days later, three km from the site of the disaster.
In Kerala, each landslide and heavy rainfall season brings back the poignant memory of Victor George, whose career was defined by capturing the essence of rain and its impact.
The media and the people of Kerala continue to honour Victor’s memory during each landslide event.
“Dear Victor, do you see how Wayanad is weeping?
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil)
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