Hume Centre had alerted Wayanad district administration at least 16 hours ahead of landslide

In 2020, their warning about an impending landslide in Mundakkai led to the successful relocation of people in the area, preventing casualties.

Rescue workers inspect documents of an individual trapped in the landslide. Photo | E Gokul

KOCHI: Kalpetta-based Hume Centre for Ecology and Wildlife Biology, which has been collecting rainfall data from over 200 locations in Wayanad, had alerted the district administration about the possibility of landslides in Mundakkai and surrounding areas a full 16 hours prior to the disaster which claimed two villages. The centre had issued the alert at 9am on Monday.

“We have a comprehensive rainfall monitoring system in Wayanad, with over 200 weather stations that provide daily data. Our data indicated that Puthumala, the nearest weather station to Mundakkai, received 200 mm of rainfall on Sunday, followed by another 130 mm overnight. It’s important to note that a landslide can be triggered by approximately 600 mm of rain. Given this, we promptly issued an alert that further rainfall could lead to a landslide,” said Hume director C K Vishnudas.

He explained that the area received 572mm of rain within 48 hours after the first reading on Sunday, eventually triggering the devastating landslide that claimed more than a hundred lives. “We had passed on the information to the district administration. However, we don’t know what the authorities did with it,” said Vishnudas.

The Hume Centre for Ecology has been consistently sharing rainfall information for the past four years. In 2020, their warning about an impending landslide in Mundakkai led to the successful relocation of people in the area, preventing casualties. “Every day, we provide alerts to the local communities and the government,” Vishnudas said.

Since June 1, several locations in Wayanad, including Puthumala, Lakkidi, Thondernad, and Manikkunnu Mala, have experienced over 3,000 mm of rainfall. “In the span of 50 days, these areas have become highly rainfall saturated. To make things worse, the regions are extremely vulnerable to landslides when exposed to severe rainfall. This is precisely what has occurred in Wayanad,” Vishnudas explained.

The changing rainfall patterns have been attributed to climate change. “In the early phase of the monsoon, we typically witness normal rains ranging from 100-150 mm. However, in the final phase, we are observing the development of large, dense clouds over a 200 sq km area, leading to exceptionally heavy rainfall and subsequent landslides. It’s imperative that we track and monitor these clouds and rainfall data to ensure the safety of those living in these areas,” added Vishnudas.