The Chooralmala and Mundakkai region, a popular tourist area, is located in the Meppadi panchayat of Wayanad district, adjacent to the Kozhikode and Malappuram forest stretches. These picturesque spots are filled with cardamom plantations, tea estates, and small waterfalls and streams.
As for tourists, visiting Mundakkai was like experiencing Munnar in Wayanad. There were numerous resorts in the area. From Mundakkai, one could reach Nilambur via a forest path. The Chaliyar River originates here. Most of the residents were plantation workers. Chooral Mala and Puthumala, where landslides occurred in 2019 as well, are also plantation areas.
Gadgil foresaw disaster
Ecologist Madhav Gadgil, former head of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Committee, had warned earlier that this region could be wiped off the map if another landslide occurred. The panel headed by him had classified the region struck by Tuesday's landslide as highly sensitive. After the incident, Gadgil told the media that the region, which has many tea plantations since the British Era, also saw quarries, resorts, artificial lakes and more in the later years.
Many residents of Chooralmala recalled Gadgil’s prediction on Tuesday when the tragedy hit. He had visited Wayanad on August 8, 2019, following the landslides in Puthumala. Gadgil had warned that the Western Ghats were severely degraded, and if no action was taken, Kerala could face a major disaster within four to five years.
Travel restrictions as of now in Wayanad
1) Entry to tourist centres has been banned
2) Night travel has also been regulated in hilly areas
3) Traffic restricted on NH 766
4) Travellers asked to avoid taking the Wayanad route to access Mysore. They can take alternate routes like Kannur-Irutty, Malappuram-Nadukani-Gudalloor or the Kannur-Mananthavady road.
