Development required, but it should be scientific: Former KSNDMC director Srinivasa Reddy

Earlier, landslides were natural, now over 75 per cent of landslides that occur in the Western Ghats are due to man-made reasons.
Dr GS Srinivasa Reddy
Dr GS Srinivasa ReddyPhoto | Express
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7 min read

While there are devastating floods in many parts of the country due to incessant rain, massive landslides in Wayanad and Shirur have raised questions whether these are natural or man-made disasters. In an interaction with the editorial team of TNIE, Dr GS Srinivasa Reddy, former director of the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC), says all natural disasters are man-made, and what the authorities should do to mitigate such incidents in future.

Excerpts…

There is an increasing number of landslides and disasters...

There is a rise in numbers and there is also data on this. There is a co-relation to population and the number of disasters -- when population increases, developmental activities increase. Earlier, landslides were natural, now over 75 per cent of landslides that occur in the Western Ghats are due to man-made reasons.

Development is important. So how should balance be maintained?

Development is required, but not unscientific development. What happened in Shirur is because of man-made reasons. Road cutting is done unscientifically. Slopes should not be disturbed, and there are rules to be followed. They should know the type of soil, its characteristics, type of rocks, the slope and dip. Designing should be done after assessing all these factors. The simple method followed in plains does not work in the ghats.

Speaking of unscientific development, don’t engineers of National Highways Authority of India, irrigation department, know this?

They do, but there is a problem. When we asked engineers in areas where such incidents happened, they said land acquisition was a problem. For example, to construct a 100-metre road, 200 metres of land is needed. So instead of cutting slopes at 45 degrees, they have cut at almost 90 degrees.

How should planning be done, keeping rainfall in mind?

Rainfall is also a major cause of disasters, especially in the Malnad areas. For Karnataka as a whole, annual normal rainfall is around 1150mm, but actual rainfall has exceeded 5000mm. Agencies planning infrastructure works normally take into account data of the last 30-35 years. But that is not necessary, they should take data for the past 10 years. There has been a big shift in rainfall intensity. Sometimes, average rainfall of one month occurs in 1-2 days, and sometimes even in one hour.

A lot of infrastructure works are happening. What should be done to prevent landslides?

Two types of measures can be taken -- structural and non-structural. Structural measures include engineering, like creation of retaining walls or mesh to cover slopes and plantations. Some plants are good for soil bonding. Before taking up work, they should study the risks, which depend on hazards and vulnerability. The government is giving a lot of money for preparedness, early warning and mitigation. Funds are being given from the State Disaster Mitigation Fund too. The nomenclature of SDRF has changed from State Disaster Response Fund to State Disaster Risk Management Fund. It includes mitigation, preparedness and early warning as a component.

Is there a law for it?

There are many policies on how to sanction plans for town planning, but implementation is zero.

Not just ghat areas, urban areas and cities like Bengaluru and Belagavi are seeing a lot of flooding...

Urban flooding is the new norm. The Finance Commission has given lots of funds for urban flooding. For Bengaluru’s urban flood mitigation, the amount sanctioned is around Rs 250 crore. There is also an application before the World Bank for about Rs 3,000 crore for Bengaluru’s floods.

In 1949, the population of Bengaluru was 4.5 lakh, with 69sqkm being the area. The projected population in 2023-24 is 1.4 crore. The drainage network which existed for 50 years is shrinking due to encroachments, and drainage carrying capacity has also come down. In a study done on Bengaluru in 1980, if there was 100mm rainfall, runoff was just 30mm. But these days, runoff for 100mm rain is 85mm. Because of urbanisation, runoff coefficient has increased drastically. Based on remote sensing statistics of 1960, we’ve lost nearly 86 tanks. Urban flooding is also due to loss of water storage capacity, as there is no space for filtration.

What could be the effects of the proposed 18.5km ‘tunnel road’ from Esteem Mall in Hebbal to Silk Board Junction?

It may act as a water divider or a dike. We may lose free flow of water underground.

Is it a feasible project from the disaster management perspective?

Right now, everything is in the proposal stage. It requires a lot of money. Surely, there will be a huge impact. Even when it comes to Metro construction, there is some impact on groundwater. When it acts as a dike, there is a possibility of one side getting sufficient water and the other side getting no water.

Does the government do an underground survey for such projects?

Soil tests are done before raising pillars for the Metro and flyovers, but issues related to underground may not be tackled. Since the water table is a very important factor, an underground survey is crucial. If the water table is shallow, it will have a huge impact.

How many landslide-vulnerable areas are there in Karnataka?

Twenty-three taluks in seven districts -- the four Malnad districts of Kodagu, parts of Hassan, Chikkamagaluru and Shivamogga, and the coastal districts of Udupi, Uttara Kannada and Dakshina Kannada -- are vulnerable areas.

What kind of planning is needed in these areas?

The areas have to be prioritised and risk elements identified. Mitigation measures like retention walls and vegetative checks have to be done accordingly. Community awareness and involvement is extremely important.

What role do communities play in preventing man-made disasters, and how can they be better informed about their responsibilities?

While planners are responsible for designing and implementing safety measures, communities also have a crucial role to play. Awareness among residents is essential. They need to understand and follow safety guidelines, particularly when constructing or modifying their homes. Educating people about best practices and potential risks helps prevent disasters and ensures that everyone contributes to a safer environment.

Who is responsible for raising community awareness, and what funding is allocated for this purpose?

The government is responsible. The 15th Finance Commission has allocated nearly 10% of funds for activities related to awareness, capacity building and preparedness.

Do projects in vulnerable areas increase chances of disasters?

Disturbances in sensitive areas can have a negative impact. It’s essential to address structural measures to mitigate these effects.

Do such incidents result from government ignorance at the state and central levels? Should the government be held accountable?

The government, while aiming for development, is also responsible for public safety. Reports indicate that reserved areas are often protected, but development sometimes happens in these areas. Committees at the state level provide recommendations for work in risk areas, and early warning systems are being implemented in sensitive locations to address potential issues.

Who should be held accountable for the Shirur disaster? The Karnataka government has blamed the NHAI road plan.

Right now, there is no such provision. There is a Disaster Management Act but it does not define penalisation clearly. Whatever development happens is connected with the government, and it is the government which makes policies. We may need some policies for penalisation.

Is technology not helping much in mitigating disasters?

The Geological Survey of India (GSI) created high-resolution susceptibility maps and identified risk areas. It is crucial to prioritize and address these high-risk areas for effective mitigation. Each year, about Rs 320 crore is allocated for mitigation and capacity building, and these funds need to be utilized properly. Additionally, almost all forests have been replaced with plantations, and lack proper water drainage systems.

How vulnerable is Bengaluru, and how is soil testing conducted for high-rise buildings?

About 50 per cent of Bengaluru is not very vulnerable to such disasters due to good soil and hard rock. However, in the remaining areas, particularly around Whitefield, soil is thick and requires different structural design. Urban flooding is a common issue and to address this, many projects are needed, with the focus on water harvesting to mitigate the impact. Soil testing for high-rise buildings involves assessing the soil structure and geological formation to ensure stability and safety.

How has climate change impacted agricultural crops?

Climate change has altered rainfall patterns, with some days receiving a month’s rain, followed by extended dry spells. This inconsistency negatively affects agriculture. To adapt, sowing practices need to change. Instead of relying on data from the past 50 years, recent data should be used to adjust cropping patterns according to current rainfall trends.

Which agency’s prediction is more accurate, India Meteorological Department (IMD) or KSNDMC?

IMD has a limited monitoring system, with roughly 6,000 sensors nationwide. KSNDMC operates around 6,500 sensors, offering higher density and accuracy. KSNDMC’s monitoring extends to the gram panchayat level, whereas IMD has only about 45 sensors in Karnataka. IMD relies on KSNDMC’s data for accurate assessments.

The Final Location Survey on the 190km Nilambur-Nanjangud railway line was completed recently, and the project will cut through Wayanad. Activists and greens have expressed concern. What should the government do?

The network covers highly sensitive and fragile areas. If we cannot mitigate the damage, it is better we drop the project. Whatever development is done, they will end up investing double to mitigate damage. If you disturb the environment, you need a lot to set it right. The cost of mitigation is the same or more than the project itself.

Is Bengaluru heading for vulnerable situations like floods, earthquakes etc due to developments like tunnel roads, Metro and other projects?

Earthquakes may not happen in Bengaluru due to its geography. However, due to projects like Metro, tunnel roads etc, there could be other problems that have to be mitigated. There could be sinkholes due to stress created on the Earth’s surface.

Is the Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir needed?

It is very much needed. If you see climate change, we need the Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir for Karnataka. Maybe there could be some environmental issues as 3,000 acres of forest area will be submerged. But this has to be tackled. Around 240 tmcft of water is allocated to Karnataka, but the reservoir capacity is 114 tmcft in all four dams put together. If you remove dead storage, it comes to only 104 tmcft. We may get good rain now, but we don’t know what could happen in the coming years. In 2018, on eight days, we released 400 tmcft water to Tamil Nadu, but after that, we didn’t have good rain at all. After releasing 400 tmcft, we didn’t have water for crops. Instead of removing silt in dams, we should go for the Balancing Reservoir.

What lessons are to be learnt from the Wayanad and Shirur disasters?

All these are big man-made disasters. Whatever development activities the government takes up, importance must be given to fragile areas. There should be a policy and plan. To build roads, there should be separate plans for hilly areas. An environmental site-specific plan is a must. Risk and hazard areas need to be tackled in different ways. If we ignore them, there may be big disasters in the future.

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