The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has reportedly served two notices to the Chief Secretaries and State Disaster Management authorities of both Kerala and Tamil Nadu and District Collectors of Wayanad and Idukki in Kerala and Nilgiris and Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu.
Reports suggest that the Green Tribunal has registered a suo moto case, while rescue operations are in full progress in the calamity-hit areas, and issued notices to Kerala and Tamil Nadu governments for allowing ‘exploitative’ developments in the hill slopes of Western Ghats, which are ecologically sensitive and known as landslide-prone areas.
Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana, a judicial member of NGT, is said to have stated that they (NGT) do want to know how the Wayanad landslide happened. They would like to know what remedial and preventive measures the state authorities have adopted to prevent similar tragedies from reoccurring.
The Tribunal reportedly expressed its deep displeasure over the reckless distribution of permits for constructing buildings on the hill slopes both in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. For example, buildings are not constructed on rocky surfaces in Chooralmala and Mundakkai regions, the severely landslide-hit areas. The Bench wondered: “It is red soil; what is its carrying capacity? Why are so many buildings there? We need answers.” The bench also pointed out that the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel led by Madhav Gandgil, the acknowledged ecologist, has categorised Vythiri Taluk of Wayanad district, as Ecologically Sensitive “Zone-1”. It indicates that change in land use is not permissible. The Standing Counsel of the State of Kerala took efforts to defuse the criticism, towards the Government of Kerala for the alleged inaction, by claiming that 70% were earlier settlements.
The Tribunal also raised questions about whether Tamil Nadu strictly follows Chapter 10A of the Tamil Nadu District Municipalities Act 1920, which regulates the construction of buildings in hill stations. The Tribunal told both Kerala and Tamil Nadu to provide details if both states follow Chapter 10A.
The tribunal also raised the trend of mushrooming resorts in Nilgiris and Valparai. Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana wondered why the tourism department lacks control in this regard and permits the private players to build resorts, endangering the lives of innocent people. No further construction should be facilitated in the areas where landslides are highly likely.
