Wayanad disaster man-made, says Madhav Gadgil, blames Kerala government for ignoring ecological recommendations

Ecologist Madhav Gadgil criticizes Kerala government for man-made disaster in Wayanad, urging implementation of ecological recommendations to prevent recurrence.

Ecologist Madhav Gadgil, who was the chairman of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), has termed the disaster in Wayanad a man-made tragedy, attributing it to the Kerala government’s failure to implement crucial ecological recommendations.

Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Gadgil criticised the State government for not adhering to the panel’s guidelines designed to prevent such disasters amid extreme climate changes.

In the early hours of Tuesday, massive landslides at Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha in Wayanad district buried large areas under debris, resulting in the death of at least 84 people and leaving many injured.

Mr. Gadgil highlighted that the panel’s report had classified the region into three levels of ecological sensitivity, with the areas now struck by the disaster being marked as highly sensitive.

“No development should have taken place in these highly sensitive areas,” he said, noting that these zones had been utilised for tea plantations during the British period and had since seen extensive development, including the construction of resorts and artificial lakes.

Mr. Gadgil said the presence of quarries operating a few kilometres from the disaster site had further exacerbated the situation. Although these quarries were now defunct, the shockwaves caused during their operational period could have extended to the disaster-stricken areas, triggering landslides during heavy rain, he said.

Mr. Gadgil accused the government of rejecting the panel’s report, leading to recurring disasters in Wayanad and other parts of the State. “A businessman recently proposed to transform the area into a tourist destination, with buildings and infrastructure development being carried out under the guise of ecotourism, disturbing the fragile environment. This was in the presence of the Chief Minister, who was there to attend an event,” he said.