Reassessing development Controls for Wayanad’s Landslide Prone Areas: The transition from Vulnerability to Resilience

Abstract

The Wayanad District recently had a tragic landslide that claimed the lives of over 300 people in Chooralmala, Punchirimattam and Mundakkai villages, raising the question of how to address the area's unplanned and unsustainable growth. Kerala has its 13 out of 14 districts coming under landslide prone areas. One of the most susceptible areas to landslides in the Western Ghats is Kerala's Wayanad district. Wayanad has 96% (7,84,981 out of 8,17,420) of total population living in the rural area, which is under constant unplanned development. These human induced activities along with the climate change has resulted in increased rainfall, which has resulted in the landslide events in the area along with deadly landslide of July,2024. Following a tragedy, many questions about unplanned development and environmentally sensitive areas typically come up. However, it is crucial to address the underlying cause of this problem, which is regrettably rarely mentioned. A more focused strategy that emphasizes proactive rather than reactive efforts is needed. The development control regulations and policies for the area has many loopholes which paves a pathway for construction in the unsustainable manner in the villages of the district. This research aims to identify the gaps in policies and development control regulation, which can be used to tackle this problem and uproot it. This study will be taking a trajectory of tackling the root level cause which can be useful for preventing the loss of life. This research is conducted in and around Landslide affected villages of Wayanad District. This research brings out the policy gaps and recommendations for filling the gaps. A collaborative effort involving policymakers, local authorities, environmentalists, and communities are essential to ensure that the lessons from these tragic events translate into meaningful and lasting change. Keywords: Landslide susceptibility, Western Ghats, Regulations, Kerala Panchayat Building Rules, Resettlement