Wayanad disaster result of illegal human habitats, mining allowed by Kerala: Bhupender Yadav

New Delhi, Aug 5 (PTI) The Kerala government allowed "illegal human habitat expansion and mining" in the state's ecologically fragile region, leading to the devastating landslides in the Wayanad district, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Monday.

Speaking to reporters, Yadav criticised the state government for "neglecting" crucial environmental factors such as soil topography, rock conditions, geomorphology, mountain slopes, and vegetation structure while permitting human habitations.

"An episode of extreme rain led to the incident," he added.

The minister said the Western Ghats, like the Himalayas, are among the most fragile regions in the country and called for serious efforts to prevent such disasters.

"The Kerala government is also responsible for ensuring the same," he said.

Yadav said illegal mining on non-forest land, uncontrolled construction, and unregulated commercial activities are the key factors behind such incidents.

He said the Environment Ministry issued six draft notifications since March 2014 to declare over 56,800 square kilometres of the Western Ghats across six states as eco-sensitive. However, the final notification is still pending due to objections from the states.

An expert panel, established in April 2022, is working closely with the states to find a resolution.

"Since the ownership of forests lies with the states, we asked them to submit their objections and suggestions to the committee led by former director general of forests Sanjay Kumar.

"There should be consultation with local stakeholders too. Instead of doing this, illegal human habitat expansion and mining were allowed, resulting in the natural disaster in Wayanad," Yadav told PTI.

He also clarified that the Environment Ministry had not cleared any developmental projects in Wayanad in the past decade.

"Only the construction of a twin tunnel from Kalladi to Meppadi in Kozhikode has been allowed, but construction has not started yet," he said.

Sources said the Centre might notify eco-sensitive areas of the Western Ghats state by state.

After stakeholder discussions, the panel realised that declaring the entire region as an eco-sensitive area at once might not be feasible. It will be more effective if done separately for each state, they said.

In the last three years, the Environment Ministry issued 14 notifications covering 23 protected areas and 17 draft notifications to declare 32 protected areas as eco-sensitive zones, officials said.

Yadav urged states to support the Centre in notifying protected areas as eco-sensitive zones.

Last week, the Centre issued a sixth draft notification to declare over 56,800 square kilometres of the Western Ghats across six states, including 13 villages in Kerala's landslide-hit Wayanad, as Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESA), inviting suggestions and objections within 60 days.

The Union environment minister said the notification's publication on July 31, a day after a series of landslides claimed over 300 lives in Wayanad, was "just a coincidence".

Scientists from the state and beyond attributed the disaster to a deadly mix of forest cover loss, mining in the fragile terrain and climate change.

The draft notification proposes to declare 9,993.7 square km in Kerala, including 13 villages in two talukas of the landslide-hit district, ecologically sensitive.

The 13 villages include Periya, Thirunelli, Thondernad, Thrissilery, Kidanganad and Noolpuzha in Mananthavady taluka, and Achooranam Chundel, Kottappadi, Kunnathidavaka, Pozhuthana, Thariyod and Vellarimala in Vythiri taluka.

The July 30 landslides affected Vythri's Mundakkai, Chooralmala and Attamala which have not figured in draft notifications issued over the years.

Overall, the notification proposes to declare 56,825.7 sq km, including 449 sq km in Gujarat, 17,340 sq km in Maharashtra, 1,461 sq km in Goa, 20,668 sq km in Karnataka, 6,914 sq km in Tamil Nadu and 9,993.7 sq km in Kerala as eco-sensitive.

The death toll in the landslides that rocked the hamlets of Wayanad last week has touched 222, the Kerala government said on Monday.

Among the dead, 97 were men, 88 women, and 37 children, as per the latest figures released by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO). As many as 2,514 people belonging to 723 families have been housed in the relief camps. PTI GVS GVS NSD NSD