Wayanad: With heavy rain lashing Wayanad the last few days, the north Kerala district has recovered from an acute rain shortage in June. However, experts say the intensity of rain over a shorter duration cannot be good for ecologically sensitive zones with a history of landslides.

“The shortage of 60 per cent in June has reduced to 16 per cent now,” said Sajeesh Jan P, assistant professor at the Department of Agricultural Meteorology, Regional Agricultural Research Station, Ambalavayal.

According to Sajeesh, Wayanad has so far received 602mm of rain this monsoon. “The normal rainfall received in Wayanad during a monsoon season is 719 mm. Now with heavy rain forecast in the coming days, the shortage of 117mm can be eliminated.

“But heavy rain for a few days is not a good trend as far as the ecologically sensitive nature of the region is concerned,” he added.

Single-day rainfall figures
As per data shared by Hume Centre for Ecology and Wildlife Biology, an NGO that studies weather patterns in Wayanad, all the ecologically sensitive zones in the ghat region recorded the single-day highest rainfall of the season in the last few days.

At least two such regions in the district – Kurichyarmala and Thettamala – also received a record single-day highest rainfall since 2021. The highest single-day rainfall recorded in Kurichyarmala and Thettamala this monsoon is 176mm and 170mm, respectively.

The highest single-day figures for Kurichyarmala in 2021 and 2022 were 101mm and 142mm respectively and those for Thettamala were 155mm (2021) and 126mm (2022).

Meanwhile, the highest single-day rainfall figures (2023, 2022 and 2021 in that order) for other landslide-prone/eco-sensitive zones in Wayanad are: Puthumala (151.4 mm, 185, 182.6) Chembra (161, 172, 261), Mundakkai (149 mm, 173, 150).

According to CK Vishnudas, Director of Hume Centre, all the above regions have a history of landslides.

Meanwhile, four other regions in Wayanad have received heavy rainfall for three days with Kappikkalam recording the highest, 468.4mm followed by Kunhome (465mm). Lakkidy (436mm) and Valamthod (432.2mm).

Among other regions, the Banasura Sagar Dam shaft area received a single-day highest rainfall of 262 mm this season. Thavinjal (177 mm), Thondernad (173.7 mm), Padinjarethara (168.4 mm), Thariode (146 mm), Meppadi (143.86 mm), Pozhuthana (126.2 mm) and Vythiri (116.5 mm) are some of the other regions that recorded over 100mm single-day rainfall in Wayanad.