The flood that ravaged Kerala in August 2018 has left a worrisome mark, more so in the upper reaches like Wayanad. Here speaking to Onmanorama after a first hand analysis, experts chart out how life can be restructured to make it more flood-proof.
Muralee Thummarukudy, who is the chief of disaster risk reduction in the UN Environment Programme, and G Shankar, Padma award-winning architect, gave Onmanorama broad guidelines based on their recent trip to Kozhikode and Wayanad districts:
At Plamoola, along the hilly Thrissilery, no less than 1.5 km of the mountain has slipped down to a depth of some 18 feet at some points. The site is at the entry point in Wayanad district.
Plamoola is one among 45 such places where the earth has developed fissures in the district. Wayanad reported 248 landslides in the August fury defined by heavy rains this monsoons, according to the earth conservation department. Crops perished in 724 acres.
The chief wrecker has been the Banasura Sagar dam, according to local people. By that, they mean the sudden opening of its shutters. The dam is along a tributary of the Kabani river that has a cult status in this region. At several places, none even knew in advance the sluice gates were to be lifted! After the tragedy, Wayanad, which is known for its tourism and agriculture (particularly spices), cuts a sorry figure.
Long way for restoration
Wayanad, like Idukki, has its hilly belts, along the Western Ghats, that are strikingly beautiful. Nature makes this Malabar district a tourist’s paradise. Today, the sector is in tatters. Authorities estimate the initial loss to be Rs 4.61 crore. Wayanad has to now go a long way before recovering itself and regaining its place on the tourism map of the state and the country.
Muralee Thummarukudy, who hails from Ernakulam district, said Idukki district lost tourists just as the rare 'neelakurinji' flowers started to bloom in the Rajamala hills. Similarly, in south-central Kerala, coastal Alappuzha might have postponed its famed boat races, but the government says they won’t be cancelled for the year. Wayanad, too, requires to make such efforts to overcome its disaster and invigorate the tourism sector, he added.
Loss to heritage
UN agencies keep a separate account of loss of heritage in the aftermath of natural disasters. Such an initiative must apply to Kerala today. In Wayanad, parts of the Edakkal caves, known for their prehistoric art, have caved in. No concrete slabs can replace them in value. The repair necessitates assistance of an institution like the Archaeological Survey of India.
Down south, Aranmula by the Pampa, is known for its traditional mirrors made of a metal-alloy. The river had swelled in that stretch of Pathanamthitta district, bringing massive loss to property on both its sides. Not different is the case with the Chendamangalam textiles with a heritage dating 2,000 years back to the Sangam era.
That village is close to the Periyar, which was in spate in the second half of August, inundating several places along its coast in Idukki and Ernakulam districts. Northward, Thrissur district has Tiruvilwamala village by the Bharatapuzha river, on the banks of which is Kuthampully village, also known for its textile tradition.
Some of the products of these villages have secured exclusive intellectual property rights through Geographical Goods (Registration and Protection) Act. All these regions have ancient religious shrines and vintage buildings, some which having got into the Unesco list of heritage. Their losses, too, will have to exclusively estimated.
Farm loss
Several farmlands in Wayanad and the hilly regions of neighbouring Kozhikode district were washed away in the floods. The crops thus lost include interim ones like plantain and ginger to long-term ones like nutmeg and even coconut. Similar sights were visible in the adjacent districts of Kannur and Malappuram.
Tens of thousands of banana plants have perished. Not many farmers have taken farm insurance. Move is now on to make civic bodies double as insurance offices. That, authorities, say, can help the farmers at least in the future.
Last-mile connectivity
Roads close to houses is not necessarily a good facility for houses in higher ranges. Several residences have perished along with the adjacent roads that were made by cutting ridges. Rehabilitation schemes should think of this point while building houses again in areas that reported landslips.
In Wayanad, like in Idukki, it is local people who are chiefly into rehabilitation activities. Be it clearing the roads or cleaning houses, the energy basically emerges from the grassroots.
In Kozhikode, the Iruvanjipuzha has eaten up lands of several residents on either side of its banks. Near Mukkamkadavu bridge, for instance, Naduviledath Abbas has lost his well as it has been filled up with mud.
At Karamoolayil, near Kumaranellur, the river threw away the house of Thekkinkandi Chellakutty. Such places need bamboos and vetiver grass (ramacham) to be grown for the soil to get back its tenacity, says Thummarukudy.
Thailand model
In 2011, when floodwaters assaulted Thailand, the country’s government came out with a plan called ‘Great Escape’. Under this, tourists, who had booked tickets for places that had gone under water, were given rooms in other places of the country that weren’t affected by the calamity.
That ensured Thailand retained much of its tourists who were to visit that country. Kerala, too, can emulate it.
Thummarukudy noted that Wayanad was last year in the grip of a drought and subsequently the district reported forest fires. Now, it’s floods and landslides. The authorities should bear in mind about climate change when it goes for next round of agriculture and rebuilding in this north-east district of the state.
Shankar suggested that houses in high ranges should be built in tune with the shape of the plot after a comprehensive study. Geologists must map places that are not worthy of human inhabitation. Both Wayanad and Idukki merit hill development authorities, he proposed.
