New Delhi:

The Kerala government requested the state’s scientific community on Thursday to refrain from sharing their opinions and study reports on the Wayanad landslides with the media.

Tiku Biswal, the state relief commissioner and principal secretary for disaster management, in an order directed all science and technology institutions in Kerala not to undertake field visits to the Meppadi panchayat in Wayanad, which has been designated a disaster-affected area.

In one of the worst disasters in the state’s history, heavy rain-induced landslides claimed more than 290 lives in Wayanad.

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.

“You are requested to direct all science and technology institutions in the state of Kerala not to undertake any field visits to Meppadi panchayat, Wayanad, which is notified as a disaster-affected area,” according to Biswal’s order to KP Sudheer, principal secretary in the state’s science and technology department.

“The scientific community shall be directed to restrain themselves from sharing their opinions and study reports to (the) media. If any study is to be undertaken in the disaster-affected area, prior permission shall be obtained from the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority,” it said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Drone image of Chooralmala in Wayanad district of Kerala, on August 1, 2024.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

ISRO’s National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) has released high-resolution images taken by the space agency’s satellites which reveal the extensive damage caused by the landslip in Wayanad district in Kerala.

NRSC has released before and after images of Chooralmala in Wayanad district, which has been devastated by the July 30 landslide. The images show that about 86,000 square metres of land had slipped out of place.

While the pre-event images were captured by the Cartosat 3 satellite on May 22, 2023, the post event images were captured by the RISAT satellite a day after the landslip on July 31.

According to the images released by NRSC, there is evidence of an earlier landslip in the same location.

Interpreting the details of the image, NSRC states that a major flow of debris was triggered by heavy rainfall in and around Chooralmala.

Very high resolution RISAT SAR images of July 31 show the entire extent of the debris flow from crown to end of the run-out zone. The approximate length of the flow is 8 km. The crown zone is a reactivation of an older landslide. The size of the main scrap of the landslide is 86,000 sq.m. The debris flow has widened the course of the Iruvaniphuza river, causing breach of its banks. Houses and other infrastructure located along the banks have been damaged by the debris flow, according to NRSC.

NRSC has the mandate for establishment of ground stations to receive satellite data, generate data products, disseminate to users, development of techniques for remote sensing applications, including disaster management support, geospatial services for good governance, and capacity building for professionals, faculty and students. 

Drone image of Chooralmala in Wayanad district of Kerala, on August 1, 2024.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

ISRO’s National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) has released high-resolution images taken by the space agency’s satellites which reveal the extensive damage caused by the landslip in Wayanad district in Kerala.

NRSC has released before and after images of Chooralmala in Wayanad district, which has been devastated by the July 30 landslide. The images show that about 86,000 square metres of land had slipped out of place.

While the pre-event images were captured by the Cartosat 3 satellite on May 22, 2023, the post event images were captured by the RISAT satellite a day after the landslip on July 31.

According to the images released by NRSC, there is evidence of an earlier landslip in the same location.

Interpreting the details of the image, NSRC states that a major flow of debris was triggered by heavy rainfall in and around Chooralmala.

Very high resolution RISAT SAR images of July 31 show the entire extent of the debris flow from crown to end of the run-out zone. The approximate length of the flow is 8 km. The crown zone is a reactivation of an older landslide. The size of the main scrap of the landslide is 86,000 sq.m. The debris flow has widened the course of the Iruvaniphuza river, causing breach of its banks. Houses and other infrastructure located along the banks have been damaged by the debris flow, according to NRSC.

NRSC has the mandate for establishment of ground stations to receive satellite data, generate data products, disseminate to users, development of techniques for remote sensing applications, including disaster management support, geospatial services for good governance, and capacity building for professionals, faculty and students. 

Drone image of Chooralmala in Wayanad district of Kerala, on August 1, 2024.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

ISRO’s National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) has released high-resolution images taken by the space agency’s satellites which reveal the extensive damage caused by the landslip in Wayanad district in Kerala.

NRSC has released before and after images of Chooralmala in Wayanad district, which has been devastated by the July 30 landslide. The images show that about 86,000 square metres of land had slipped out of place.

While the pre-event images were captured by the Cartosat 3 satellite on May 22, 2023, the post event images were captured by the RISAT satellite a day after the landslip on July 31.

According to the images released by NRSC, there is evidence of an earlier landslip in the same location.

Interpreting the details of the image, NSRC states that a major flow of debris was triggered by heavy rainfall in and around Chooralmala.

Very high resolution RISAT SAR images of July 31 show the entire extent of the debris flow from crown to end of the run-out zone. The approximate length of the flow is 8 km. The crown zone is a reactivation of an older landslide. The size of the main scrap of the landslide is 86,000 sq.m. The debris flow has widened the course of the Iruvaniphuza river, causing breach of its banks. Houses and other infrastructure located along the banks have been damaged by the debris flow, according to NRSC.

NRSC has the mandate for establishment of ground stations to receive satellite data, generate data products, disseminate to users, development of techniques for remote sensing applications, including disaster management support, geospatial services for good governance, and capacity building for professionals, faculty and students. 

New Delhi:

High resolution images taken by Indian satellites show the widespread damage and devastation caused by landslides in Kerala’s Wayanad. More than 150 people have died and over 200 injured even as the rescue works are ongoing. The before and after images show that about 86,000 square meters of land slipped and the debris flowed for about 8 kilometers along the Iruvaiphuzha river. 

Interestingly the Indian Space Research Organisation report also presents evidence of an old landslide at the same location, suggesting its vulnerability was documented.

The National Remote Sensing Center, Hyderabad a part of the Indian Space Research Organization deployed its highest resolution Cartosat-3 optical satellite and the RISAT satellite that is capable of seeing through cloud cover. The space agency says the landslide was initiated at an altitude of 1550 meters above the sea level.

The latest report accessed by NDTV, suggests that there is evidence of an old landslide at the same location. A 2023 ‘Landslide Atlas of India’ prepared by ISRO had placed Wayanad region as a vulnerable to landslides.

ISRO satellite images show widespread devastation at Wayanad landslide. Almost 86,000 square meters of land slipped causing the landslide almost five times the size of the Rashtrapati Bhawan. The debris flowed for almost 8 kilometers downstream washing away towns and settlements. 

ISRO says there is evidence of an old landslide at same location. The National Remote Sensing Center used the Cartosat-3 satellite and the RISAT satellite to see through cloud cover.

The NRSC reports says “a major debris flow was triggered by heavy rainfall in and around the Chooralmala town of Wayanad District in Kerala state of India”.

Very high resolution RISAT SAR images of 31 July, 2024 show the entire extent of the debris flow from crown to end of run out zone. The approximate length of the flow is 8 km. The crown zone is a reactivation of an older landslide. The size of the main scarp of the landslide in 86,000 square meters. The debris flow has widened the course of the Iruvaniphuza River causing breach of its banks. Houses and other infrastructures located along the banks have been damaged by the debris flow, 3D rendition of the crown of the landslide illustrates that a large section of the hill slope has been affected. 

The areal extent of the landslide is 86,000 square meters. The crown is located at an approximate elevation of approximately 1,550 m above MSL.

ISRO prepared a “Landslide Atlas of India” which diligently documents the 80,000 landslides that have occurred over 20 years and lists landslide from Puthumala, Wayanad district, and large parts of Kerala are marked red as being prone to landslides.

Dr S Somanath, the Chairman of ISRO in the 2023 report says it presents “the overall landslide scenario in India and … the field of landslide hazard. I am sure that the atlas will be beneficial to everyone involved in disaster management endeavors.”

Parliament on Wednesday took up a discussion on Wayanad landslide under a ‘calling attention’ motion. In his response, Union Home Minister Amit Shah made several claims on early warning systems in India and how they were utilised to alert the Kerala government ahead of the tragedy. The Hindu takes a closer look at these claims.

Read Wayanad landslides LIVE updates here 

What the minister said:

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) press release dated July 18 issued on outlook for a flash flood risk in northern parts of Kerala (among other places) until 11.30 a.m. of July 19.

The extended range forecast, also issued on the same day for July 18-31, carried no mention of Kerala for the period, however.

The IMD press release published on July 23 warned of “very heavy rainfall at isolated places” in Kerala and Mahe on July 25 (suggesting action), and heavy rainfall over isolated/some places in Kerala and Mahe from July 23-27.

The visual sub-division-wise weather warnings under this forecast carried an orange alert for the State of Kerala for July 25, and a yellow “watch” alert for July July 23, 24, 26, and 27. A yellow alert doesn’t specifically call for action.

The press release published on July 25 said that “scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall accompanied with thunderstorm and lightning [was] very likely over Kerala & Mahe (and other places) over the next five days”, and heavy rainfall very likely at isolated places over Kerala and Mahe from July 25-29. Visual warnings, as depicted on maps, also showed a yellow alert for Kerala, which doesn’t call for action.

The extended range forecast for July 25-August 7 predicted “scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall accompanied with thunderstorm and lightning very likely over Kerala and Mahe [and other places], as well as heavy rainfall very likely at isolated places during the week”.

The July 29 press release by IMD issued an orange alert for very heavy rainfall at isolated places over Kerala and Mahe on July 29. The landslides occurred in the early hours of July 30.

A red alert for July 30 was issued in the press release published at 1.10 p.m., after the landslides had occurred. This press release also carried an orange alert for Kerala and Mahe for July 31 and August 1.

One Agromet forecast issued on July 23 for Wayanad district predicted 15 mm of rainfall in the district on July 30, the day when the landslides occurred after extremely heavy rainfall. Agromet, or the Agricultural Meteorlogy Division of IMD Pune, issues forecasts to minimise the impact of adverse weather on crops. Fifteen mm of rainfall is not cause for worry according to the IMD’s categorisation.

In its extended range forecast issued on July 25, IMD’s Meteorological Centre in Thiruvananthapuram predicted “cumulative above normal rainfall” for Kerala during July 2 to August 1, but did not raise any alarms or issue any warnings. August 2-8 was predicted to bring normal rainfall to the State.

The district rainfall forecast issued by the Thiruvananthapuram Met centre on July 26 predicted “light to moderate” rainfall for Wayanad district on July 30.

Mr. Shah also said in the Rajya Sabha that an early warning for rainfall more than 20 cm and possible landslide was issued to Kerala on July 26. The IMD press release published on the day carried no such warnings. Like the previous editions, it carried a yellow watch alert under visual sub-division-wise weather warnings.

After Mr. Shah’s remarks, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also said that the forecasts issued by IMD, the Geological Survey of India (responsible for issuing alerts related to landslides), and the Central Water Commission (responsible for issuing alerts on river-related floods) were off the mark.

“None of the agencies had issued a red alert for Wayanad ahead of the July 30 landslides,” he said.

Mr. Vijayan also shared an image titled ‘Experimental Rainfall Induced Landslide Forecast Bulletin’ for Wayanad district, issued on July 29 for two days. The bulletin predicted a “low possibility” of occurrences of landslides. This information is not available in the public domain.

Following Mr. Shah’s remarks in Parliament, CPI(M) MPs in Rajya Sabha from Kerala, John Brittas, A.A. Rahim and V. Sivadasan, approached Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar requesting him to direct Mr. Shah to clarify his statement. Mr. Sivadasan also moved a privilege notice with the Rajya Sabha Secretary-General alleging that Mr. Shah had misled the Upper House and that action must be initiated against him for breach of privilege.

What the minister said:

This is incorrect. India set up the National Monsoon Mission in 2012 (now referred to as Monsoon Mission, MM) to improve the country’s monsoon prediction capabilities. According to the Ministry of Earth Sciences, the first phase of MM, called MM-I, was completed successfully in 2017.

MM-II began in September 2017 to focus on “predicting weather/climate extremes and development of climatic applications based on monsoon forecasts, especially in the field of agriculture, hydrology and energy sector, while continuing model development activities”.

MM-II is a part of Atmosphere and Climate Research – Modelling Observing Systems and Services (ACROSS). The Budget allocation for ACROSS, however, reduced drastically in 2024. In 2023, a total of ₹680 crore was allocated for it, and the revised estimate put this figure at ₹550 crore. In 2024, only ₹500 crore have been allocated for ACROSS.

What the minister said:

This claim is contentious. For cyclones particularly, the 2023 ‘Global status of multi-hazard early warning systems’ report by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk and Reduction (UNDRR) says, “Even with state-of-the-art forecasts, the risk associated with tropical cyclones for a particular location can only be updated 3–5 days before landfall.” Tropical cyclones have caused extensive damage in India over the years.

Talking about the 2023 Cyclone Mocha, the UNDRR report said, “The Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre in New Delhi provided critical information and guidance products on the formation, projected path and intensity of the tropical cyclone 3–5 days ahead of landfall.”

For rain, IMD’s standard operating procedures on weather forecasting and warning services state that a red-colour warning for extremely heavy rainfall cannot be issued more than 48 hours in advance, as opposed to the “seven days in advance” claim by Mr. Shah. Extremely heavy rainfall, which means more than 20cm of rain in 24 hours, is denoted by a red colour warning by the IMD, and it means “take action”. Mr. Shah claimed that an early warning for rainfall more than 20 cm and possible landslide was issued to Kerala on July 26, which counters IMD’s SOP.

Thiruvananthapuram:

The Kerala police have launched an investigation into an alleged social media campaign against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s Facebook post requesting help for the people affected by the landslides in Wayanad district.

The State Police Media Centre (SPMC) on Thursday said that the Wayanad Cybercrime police has registered a case under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Disaster Management Act and launched a probe into the alleged spreading of a campaign with the intention of obstructing relief efforts.

The SPMC, in its statement, further said that the fake campaign was circulated on social media platform X from a handle called ‘Koyikodans 2.0’.

The post was aimed at motivating people to reject the Chief Minister’s appeal for disaster relief, it said.

The police warned of strict legal action under the law against those who edit, produce and disseminate fake posts in such a way so as to spread misconceptions.

For this, the cyber police have intensified monitoring of social media.

Vijayan had called upon everyone to contribute to the Chief Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund (CMDRF) in order to help those affected by the landslides.

Massive landslides triggered by torrential rains hit Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha hamlets in the early hours of Tuesday, killing several people, including women and children. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The Centre and Kerala crossed swords on Wednesday over advance weather warnings for the State and the disaster response in the wake of the catastrophic landslide that claimed over 200 lives and levelled three villages in Vythithiri taluk of Wayanad district a day earlier.

In Parliament, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the Kerala government did not gauge the severity of the situation accurately despite the Centre despatching nine National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams to the State on July 23. “Had those blaming the [Central] government read the warnings, the situation would have been different,” he said.

In Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan took issue with Mr. Shah’s statement, asserting that the Centre dispatched the NDRF teams at the State government’s behest, given the intensifying monsoon, and not on its own volition. The State government moved an NDRF unit to Wayanad well in advance, he said. 

Read the full story here.

New Delhi:

 BJP leader V Muraleedharan hit out at the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan-led Kerala government over the recent landslides in Wayanad that claimed the lives of over 160 people and said that state was paying the price of the state government’s ‘casual approach.’

This comes after Home Minister Amit Shah’s assertion in Parliament on Wednesday that the state was warned as early as July 23 about a potential natural calamity in Wayanad due to heavy rains.

Speaking to ANI on the Wayanad landslide incidents, BJP leader V Muraleedharan said, “Home Minister Amit Shah in the Rajya Sabha very specifically mentioned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government stands with the people of Kerala like a rock and there can be no doubt about that.”

“Amit Shah also said that had the Kerala government worked with alertness when the NDRF battalions landed, that would have saved a lot. He said that he doesn’t want to blame anyone, but at the same time, he put the facts before the house, saying that on July 23, 24, 25 and 26 of July, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued warnings and asked the state government to be prepared and initiate the evacuation of people, but the Kerala government didn’t heed the warning messages.”

Adding further, he said, “Moreover, many agencies in the past have been alerted about the possibility of landslides in the area. In 2020, the Kerala disaster management authority warned that there was an impending tragedy and advised relocating 4,000 families,” said Mr Muraleedharan.

“The village of Mundakkai, which has now been affected by the landslide, was identified as one of the 18 landslide-prone places in the district disaster management plan. But the state government did not pay heed to it and now Kerala is paying the price because of the casual approach of the state government,” said Mr Muraleedharan.

“This area has been identified as an ecologically sensitive area. Despite that, there are more than 300 illegal construction projects in the area. No action has been taken to remove those,” he added.

Meanwhile, the disaster sparked a heated exchange of words among political leaders.

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan refuted Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s assertion in Parliament on Wednesday that the state was warned as early as July 23 about a potential natural calamity in Wayanad due to heavy rains.

“This is not the time to blame each other. However, reports from the Rajya Sabha indicate that the Union Home Minister claimed they had issued a warning, and Kerala did not respond appropriately,” the Kerala Chief Minister said in a press conference.

Mr Vijayan stated that the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had only issued an orange alert for the district prior to the landslides. However, Wayanad experienced over 500 millimetres of rainfall, far exceeding the IMD’s predictions.

After two massive landslides struck Wayanad, Kerala, on Tuesday morning, causing extensive destruction, rescue operations are being intensified, political leaders are engaged in discussions, and financial aid is being mobilised for the region.

The first landslide occurred in Mundakkai, a town, and the second in Chooralmala. The massive landslides wreaked havoc in the region, damaging houses and roads, uprooting trees, and swelling water bodies, which hindered rescue operations. Relief and rescue efforts are currently underway.

The landslides in Mundakkai and Chooralmala, Wayanad, have resulted in 167 confirmed deaths, as per the Kerala Revenue Department.

According to sources from the Department of Information and Public Relations (PRD) Control Room in Wayanad, 96 victims have been identified, including 77 men, 67 women, and 22 children. Post-mortem examinations have been conducted on 166 bodies and 49 body parts.

A total of 75 bodies have been handed over to relatives. Rescue personnel have brought 219 individuals to hospitals; 78 are still receiving treatment, while 142 have been moved to relief camps.

In Wayanad, 73 people are hospitalised, and five in Malappuram. Amid the rising death toll, the Indian Army has intensified its efforts to rescue people stranded after the landslides.

According to the Ministry of Defence, “The Army has set up a “Command and Control Centre” headed by Major General VT Mathew, General Officer Commanding, Karnataka and Kerala Sub Area, along with Brigadier Arjun Segan, at Kozhikode for coordinating HADR efforts.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Wayanad:

Jayan, a resident of the landslide-hit Chooralmala in Kerala, was fast asleep in his house on July 29 night. The calm and serene residential location in Wayanad’s Chooralmala was reverberating with the thumping sounds of the torrential rains outside.

At 1.30 am on Tuesday, Jayan woke up hearing a loud noise. As he rushed outside his house, he saw flood waters gushing just outside his house and saw people rushing to their terraces, screaming out for help.

“There was no power or light. We saw people screaming for help on the other side of the flood waters, but no one could reach near him as slush and rapid waterflow prevented any from going near them,” Jayan, a middle-aged man with a broader forehead and a stress-stricken face, told PTI as he recounted the horrible sequence of events during the early morning hours on Tuesday.

Jayan and family, a family of casual labourers, usually go to sleep around 9.30 pm after having their dinner.

On Monday night also, the family, like most others in the area, went to bed around 9.30 pm, unaware of the worst fate that was in store for them.

Everyone at Chooralmala thought that the 1.30pm landslide would be the only one, and many had gone back to bed, hoping that others who screamed for help would be safe.

“But, around 3.30 am, there was a louder noise and everything got over in a flash. Huge boulders and mud with extreme force had taken away all the houses where people earlier cried for help. We did not know what to do as what we saw was nothing but mud, water, and debris flowing in front of us,” Jayan said.

Most of the houses in the area vanished within no time, with no signs of life left around. The slush and boulder-filled waters crushed the buildings with people inside. An area that was once full of life suddenly became a river, with slush and debris strewn all around.

Everyone who managed to stay safe was crying out loud, calling the names of their dear ones.

Jayan knew that his wife’s relatives, who lived in the most affected areas, were missing.

“11 members from my wife’s family are missing. We identified the body of a child that was recovered from Chaliyar river in Nilambur in Malappuram district as one of my relative’s. We have only got three dead bodies so far and the remaining are still missing,” a teary-eyed Jayan said.

With a blue plastic rain cover folded and kept inside his arms, Jayan has been waiting in the area, examining each and every person recovered from the site, anxiously ensuring that it does not belong to his wife’s family.

“I am waiting here, hoping that we will get some information about our missing family members,” said Jayan whose face looked weary and tired.

His wait may go on for a few more days as the rescuers are tirelessly digging through the mud and debris in the area, looking out for the dead and also hoping to pull someone out alive.

Many, like Jayan, are wandering in the area, rushing to the rescuers as they pull bodies out, and hopefully waiting to have the last glance of their dear ones who have been swept away in the flash floods.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)