THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amidst increased concern of erosion and landslips, the state government has ordered yet another disaster risk reduction study of Varkala Cliff – a national geological monument and geo-heritage site. Despite being a major tourism attraction, the nearly 23-million-year-old cliff has been facing neglect for years now.
The frequent caving in of earth has inflicted severe damage. Apart from studies and a master plan by expert agencies, the state and central governments have failed in their efforts to protect and conserve the rare geological formation. The sorry state of affairs recently caught the attention of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which initiated a case suo motu on the deteriorating condition of the cliff.
According to sources, an expert team from NGT visited the cliff to take into account the present situation. The tribunal has issued notices to various agencies including Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), Geological Survey of India (GSI), National Centre for Earth Science Studies (NCESS), Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority (KCZMA), and district magistrate.
Lack of coordination between various departments including the tourism department, GSI, Vision Varkala Infrastructure Development Corporation (Vivid), NCESS and KCZMA is one of the primary reasons for the deteriorating state of the cliff.
In response to the alarming rise in landslides, it was the chief secretary who directed Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) to conduct the disaster-reduction study.
A team of landslide experts recently visited the cliff. “We will be submitting the initial technical report to the chief secretary within a week. Our focus is only on disaster risk reduction.
Conservation and preservation of the cliff should be done by other concerned agencies. If it’s a geo-technical issue, GSI has to intervene. We will be giving our recommendations in the report,” KSDMA member secretary Sekhar Lukose Kuriakose said.
NCESS undertook a study and submitted a report to the government in 2021. In 2014, the cliff was declared a geo-heritage site by GSI and has given multiple reports to the government with all possible recommendations for the protection of the cliff in the past decade.
“Enough studies have been done and the GSI has provided multiple reports in the past to the government with solid recommendations. But none of them have been implemented. The most recent report was submitted after the landslip near Bali Mandapam,” GSI deputy director general V Ambili said.
Sanjeev S J, president of the Environment Research and Protection Council, who filed a joint petition with NGT, said illegal constructions continue unabated, threatening the stability of the cliff.
Facing neglect
Frequent caving in of earth has inflicted severe damage to the cliff
The state and central governments have failed in their efforts to protect and conserve the rare geological formation
Lack of coordination between various departments is one of the primary reasons for the deteriorating state