An extreme burst of rainfall attributable to globally-induced climate change was the cause, but the impact in terms of lives lost and villages erased was a result of weakening of the topography by predatory construction, mining and quarrying. Way back in August 2011, a Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) chaired by Professor Madhav Gadgil…
Kerala recently witnessed massive landslides in the Wayanad district claiming hundreds of lives But this isn’t the first time that the “God’s own country” is facing a natural calamity of this scale. Nearly 100 years ago, the state was ravaged by an even deadlier disaster – the Great Floods of 1924. An article that appeared in…
The Kerala police team led by Additional Director General of Police M.R. Ajithkumar on the newly built Bailey bridge at Chooralmala. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement The police have been working tirelessly, round the clock, in the disaster-affected areas of Punchirimattom, Mundakkai, and Chooralmala in Wayanad, providing a beacon of hope to those affected by…
Confident PM will declare Wayanad landslides national disaster once he sees devastation: Rahul Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday said it was a good decision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit landslides-hit Wayanad and expressed confidence that once he sees the extent of the devastation firsthand, the prime minister…
Toys procured for the children of Wayanad who were orphaned by the recent landslide. | Photo Credit: Special arrangement Compassionate parents hoping to adopt orphans of Wayanad landslide may not have their wish granted. After registering themselves with the government agencies handling the adoption, they will have to wait in the queue. Even then, they…
The Infopark Police has registered a case against Akhil Marar, film director and reality show actor, for allegedly posting on social media a message saying he preferred not to contribute towards the Chief Minister’s distress relief fund (CMDRF). Rather, he would construct three or four houses directly for those affected by the recent massive landslides…
Army personnel carry out rescue operations on the second day after landslides triggered by heavy rain at Chooralmala, in Wayanad district, July 31, 2024. | Photo Credit: PTI The Hindu’s fact check of Union home minister Amit Shah’s claims on the floor of Parliament found Kerala may not have had much inkling that landslides as…
Drone image of Chooralmala in Wayanad district of Kerala, on August 1, 2024. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT ISRO’s National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) has released high-resolution images taken by the space agency’s satellites which reveal the extensive damage caused by the landslip in Wayanad district in Kerala. NRSC has released before and after images…
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his Cabinet colleagues review search, rescue and relief operations at the District Collector’s headquarters in Wayanad on August 1, 2024. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said the government would organise relief camps in landslide-hit Wayanad as separate units for individual family survivors to…
Parliament on Wednesday took up a discussion on Wayanad landslide under a ‘calling attention’ motion. In his response, Union Home Minister Amit Shah made several claims on early warning systems in India and how they were utilised to alert the Kerala government ahead of the tragedy. The Hindu takes a closer look at these claims….
