A devastating landslide in Wayanad district of Kerala has claimed over 100 lives and left more than 100 injured. Rescue operations are still underway and the death toll is expected to rise as more bodies are recovered from the rubble.
But how did this catastrophic disaster happen in Kerala? According to climate experts, the landslide was triggered by exceptionally heavy rainfall, a direct result of the warming of the Arabian Sea.
S Abhilash, Director of the Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Research at Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), shed light on the matter. He explained that the offshore monsoon trough has been impacting the Konkan region for the past two weeks, leading to soil saturation in districts like Kasargod, Kannur, Wayanad, Calicut and Malappuram. According to experts, this saturation triggered the landslide.
The situation worsened on Monday when a deep mesoscale cloud system formed off the Arabian Sea coast, leading to heavy rains in Wayanad, Calicut, Malappuram and Kannur. Abhilash noted, “The clouds were very low, similar to the 2019 Kerala floods.”
Scientists have observed a trend of very low cloud systems developing over the southeast Arabian Sea, sometimes encroaching on land, as was seen in 2019.
The southeast Arabian Sea is getting warmer, leading to atmospheric instability in this region, including Kerala. With climate change, the rain-bearing belt of low clouds is expanding southwards, which is the main reason for the extremely heavy rains.
How vulnerable Kerala is to such disasters is evident from the country’s recent history. The 2018 floods, the worst the state has seen in a century, claimed 483 lives and caused extensive damage. The tragedy continued in 2019 with a landslide in Puthumala, Wayanad, which claimed 17 lives. In 2021, landslides and heavy rains claimed 53 lives, and in 2022, more landslides and floods caused 18 deaths and extensive property damage. Between 2015 and 2022, Kerala recorded the highest number of landslides in India, highlighting the region’s constant struggle with natural disasters.
The disaster led to the relocation of 3,069 people to 45 relief camps in Wayanad. Five ministers have been appointed to oversee relief and rescue operations to ensure the affected residents receive the necessary support.
In response to the tragedy, the Kerala government has declared a two-day state mourning, which will be officially observed on July 30 and 31. The national flag will be flown at half-mast and all public events and celebrations will be cancelled during this period, Chief Secretary V Venu announced.
300 people are involved in the rescue operations, including teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Indian Army and helicopters from the Indian Air Force (IAF). The effort aims to evacuate those trapped and recover the bodies from the rubble. The Kerala Chief Minister has assured that arrangements have been made to provide the best possible treatment to the injured.
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