Last Updated on 31/07/2024 by wccexam Desk
The heat of the Arabian Sea. The clouds gathered over it. This caused devastation in Kerala. The next one week is still dangerous. According to the Meteorological Department, strong winds will blow in the lower areas of Kerala for the next 2-3 days. From July 30 to August 2, heavy rains and thunderstorms can occur in many areas of Kerala. Wayanad is also included in this.
The weather department had clearly said that there will be heavy and very heavy rains on 30th and 31st July. 7 to 11 cm of rain in the first 24 hours and 12 to 20 cm of rain on the second day. That is, this is an extreme situation. Its effect will be felt in Wayanad, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargod. There is a high possibility of rain in almost the same areas on the second day as well. Rescue work in Wayanad is also being carried out amidst the rain.
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The winds are blowing at a speed of 35 to 45 kilometres per hour over the sea. Therefore, fishermen have been advised not to go into the sea. Heavy damage was feared due to heavy rains and landslides. In which warnings were issued for flash floods, damage to houses, uprooting of trees, disruption of power supply etc.
Why is it raining so much?
It is clearly visible in the satellite image of the Meteorological Department that clouds have gathered near Kerala. It is possible that the high mountains of the Western Ghats situated to the east of Kerala may not have given these clouds a way to spread or move forward. Due to which the tragedy of Kedarnath occurred in 2013. There too the clouds were trapped in the mountains. This is the reason why such a terrible devastation occurred in Wayanad.
The Arabian Sea is warming up rapidly. A. Abhilash, Director of Advanced Center for Atmospheric Radar Research at Cochin University, said that it is raining heavily in Kasargod, Kannur, Wayanad, Kozhikode, Mallapuram. There is a trough in the sea. Due to this, the entire Konkan area has been affected for two days. This is exactly the same situation as it was in the year 2019. There is a mesoscale cloud system here at this time.
Reason for the gathering of clouds
Scientists have observed that a very deep cloud system is developing in the Arabian Sea near Kerala. This is the southern part of the Arabian Sea. This system remains in the sea itself. But sometimes it moves towards the land. As happened in the year 2019. The Arabian Sea is continuously getting warmer due to climate change.
This is affecting the atmosphere above Kerala. The atmosphere of Kerala has become thermodynamically unbalanced. Due to this imbalance, dark clouds gather. Earlier, this type of weather used to occur in the northern Konkan area. Above northern Mangaluru. But due to climate change, it is now coming downwards.
51% of Wayanad’s land is on slopes
According to a study by the Geological Survey of India, 43% of the total area of Kerala is prone to landslides. 74% of the land in Idukki and 51% of the land in Wayanad are hill slopes. This means that there is always a risk of landslides. The most sloped area in the 1848 square kilometer Kerala is in the Western Ghats.
Western Ghats means Wayanad, Kozhikode, Mallapuram, Idukki, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts. These districts have the highest number of landslides. In 2019, a total of 80 landslides occurred in eight districts of Kerala. That too in just three days. 120 people were killed in this. In 2018, 341 major landslides occurred in ten districts.
Is the entire area of Wayanad uneven?
A plateau region with a height of more than 2695 meters i.e. 8841 feet. 40 percent of Kerala’s area is covered by the Western Ghats. A forested area with extreme humidity. Where landslides are inevitable even after a short spell of rain. Wayanad is situated in the middle of such an area. The 2130 square kilometer Wayanad is geographically divided into four parts.
Peninsular Genesic Complex, Migmatite Complex, Charnockite Group and Wayanad Group. Wayanad Group rocks are found in the northern region. Charnockite in the south and south-east region. This is actually a chemical-geographical way of describing soils and rocks. The district is situated at an altitude of 2084 m.
Most of the district gets water from the Kabani river and its branches. Flooding is natural in the plains because there are hills all around. The eastern part of the district is 1000 to 1400 meters high. Most of the area has clay-like soil. That is, it is weak and slippery. Therefore, the danger of landslides is high.
What is the reason for so many landslides?
felling of forests… Kerala has been known for its tea plantations for more than 100 years. But the decrease in the species of trees and plants has led to a decrease in the forests. The forests have also been cut down rapidly. The rainfall pattern has also changed due to climate change. Due to which landslides are increasing in the sloping areas.
geographical situation… This district is situated on the slopes of the plateaus of the Western Ghats. These are very steep slopes. There are valleys. There are hills. Therefore, there is a high risk of landslides in such areas.
Heavy rain… Wayanad sometimes receives more than 2000 mm of rain during the monsoon season. Due to this, the soil gets saturated. Due to which it gets eroded. And landslides occur.
The quality of the soil… Wayanad has mostly laterite soil. That means it is very weak and erodible. If it is saturated with rain, then its weight increases. But its strength is lost. It starts sliding.
Wrong use of land brought big trouble
About a decade ago, the National Center for Earth Studies had made a map of hazard zones. The area which was previously safe is now in danger. Of the landslides that occurred in Vythiri, Wayanad in 2018-19, 41% occurred near houses built on slopes. 29% occurred along roads. 17% occurred on commercial lands. 10% occurred in areas with trees and plants. Only 3% in forests. This means that such natural calamities occur only after land use change.