WAYANAD LANDSLIDES

Politicians protecting illegal habitation, mining: Union Min Bhupender Yadav on Wayanad landslides

Union Minister of Environment Bhupender Yadav on Monday blamed the Kerala government for illegal human habitation in Wayanad, where a landslide claimed over 385 lives. Responding to a question about whether it was a man-made disaster, Yadav said: "Local politicians are providing illegal protection to the illegal human habitation. Even in the name of tourism, they are not creating proper zones. They allowed encroachment of this area."

Yadav noted that the landslide struck a highly sensitive area. "We suffered the loss due to illegal habitation and mining. We have made a committee headed by former Director General of Forests, Sanjay Kumar for the ecosensitive zone. For a long time, the state government has been avoiding the committee, which they should not do," he told news agency ANI.

"We feel it's purely a mistake by the state government. There has been illegal human habitation and illegal mining activity under the protection of the local government. It is very shameful. They must protect nature and human lives," he said.

"The Western Ghats is one of the most fragile regions in the country like the Himalayas. Serious efforts must be made to prevent disasters in such regions and the Kerala government is also responsible for ensuring the same," he told PTI.

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

The notification was issued on July 31, a day after a series of landslides claimed over 300 lives in Wayanad, proposes to declare 9,993.7 sqkm 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.

Meanwhile, the Congress has asked the Centre to declare the landslides a national disaster. However, the BJP said such a concept does not exist under central government guidelines, a policy unchanged since the UPA government's tenure. BJP's V Muraleedharan posted on his Facebook page a 2013 Parliament document in which then Minister of State for Home, Mullappally Ramachandran, stated that "there is no provision to declare a natural disaster as a national disaster."

Muraleedharan, a former Union Minister, reiterated that the concept of a 'national disaster' does not exist under the central government’s guidelines. "Each disaster is addressed according to its severity," he said, urging people not to create baseless controversies during this time of disaster.