The CPI (M) in Bharat, particularly in Kerala, is at the forefront of identifying the flaws of all governments in the country and worldwide, condemning them and providing advice. However, if you ask them whether the government they lead in Kerala is carrying out its responsibilities efficiently, they will have to say no. The most recent example is the massive landslide in Chooralmala-Mundakkai region in Wayanad in Kerala.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated in Parliament that the state was informed seven days before the accident, and an NDRF team was sent to Kerala. However, according to experts, it is not only extreme rainfall that leads to landslides but also conditioning factors and triggering factors. The triggering factors include the slope of the terrain, the thickness and the nature of the soil, which cause landslides. Heavy rain is one of the triggering factors. If the slope of the terrain is more than 20 degrees, it is considered a landslide-prone area. The slopes of the hills in Kerala are steep and prone to landslides. Besides, all the rocks in Kerala today are 220 to 300 million years old and one-metre-thick soil above is only 10,000 years old. Therefore, is a high probability that this soil will come down when it rains.
Since 2018, the whole country has observed how Kerala’s monsoon conditions have deteriorated and how vulnerable the state is to natural disasters. This is supported by various studies undertaken by Dr. Madhav Gadgil, the National Disaster Management Authority, and state government agencies. All of Kerala’s landslides have happened in locations belonging to the Western Ghats. Past catastrophes that may be tracked include Puthumala, Kavalapara, Pettimudi, and Kootikkal. However, the most pressing concern here is whether Kerala is being administered by individuals who have no awareness that landslides might occur in this area, which is particularly ecologically vulnerable if it rains constantly for 24 hours. Because the Chooralmala-Mundakai region experienced 576 mm of rain over two days before the tragedy. What steps did the government take to address these catastrophes prior to the arrival of the monsoon? Has the government sent warnings to those who live in ecologically sensitive areas? What preparations did the Pinarayi led CPI(M) government in Kerala take prior to the arrival of the monsoon in respect to the central government’s National Landslide risk Management Strategy, which was launched in 2019 to decrease and manage the danger of landslide disasters? In this regard, the government should inform the public of the steps taken before monsoon to prepare landslide area mapping using satellites, early warning systems, public awareness campaigns, training, monitoring, landslip stabilisation and mitigation strategies, relocation of people, and so on.
It should also be examined whether the Kerala government implemented the National Disaster Management Authority’s comprehensive instructions to reduce the risk of landslides. Furthermore, the Landslide Atlas of Bharat, developed by the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), a part of ISRO, provides information on landslide-prone regions. Nonetheless, the KLDFerala government appears to be ignoring tragedies. After the persistent rainfall, the warnings issued by the Indian Meteorological Department were enough for the authorities to act and protect people. However, the Kerala government has demonstrated unprecedented negligence in the matter over the past six years, from 2018 to the present.
If there was unexpected rain, we could blame fate. However, the bodies unearthed in Chaliyar river demonstrate how weak the governance system was even during the monsoon season. This raises the question of how safe Kerala is under the CPI(M) led administrations as Kerala has experienced several calamities caused by the government’s negligence and irresponsibility since 2018. The Pinarayi-led CPI(M) robbers are only focusing on the crowd funding after calamities, much like vultures waiting for death. They support the resaurt and mining mafia in the state. It is a fact that if people trust the government sitting in air-conditioned rooms in Thiruvananthapuram and selling death, the people of Kerala would be forced to give up their own lives and future.
All this is a breath of life for the government that survives on the wings of disasters and is being blamed by its own party for leading the way in Kerala, which is collapsing economically and socially. This was apparent in the theatrics staged by the Chief Minister and his entourage following the catastrophe. The LDF-UDF MPs led by Rahul Gandhi have taken the drama to the Parliament. That’s why Amit Shah was urged to tell the truth. If there is a genuine love for the nation and its people, the state government should take steps to avoid such tragedies from occurring in other areas.
By Vishnu Aravind
