It has been one year since, On 16 August 2018, severe floods affected the south Indian state Kerala, due to unusually high rainfall during the monsoon season. It was the worst flood in Kerala in nearly a century.
Kerala is frightened because of the probability of repetition of the last year’s scenario again this year too. As Kerala is facing an unusually high level of rainfall since August which has caused statewide floods and killings of people and severe damage. Most of the regions impacted by this monsoon were once classified as Ecologically-sensitive zones (ESZs).
The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel, also known as the Gadgil Commission after its chairman Madhav Gadgil, was an environmental research commission appointed by the Ministry of Environment and Forests of India. The WGEEP had recommended 64% of Western Ghats to be declared as an ecologically sensitive area. It had suggested three levels of categorization where regulatory measures for protection would be imposed and had recommended the establishment of the Western Ghats Ecology Authority for management of the Ghats. The report was first submitted to the government in 2011and suggested that 140,000 kilometers of the Western Ghats be classified in three zones as per the requirement of environmental protection in the areas.
“Irresponsible environmental policy is to be blamed for the recent floods and landslides in Kerala”, said Gadgil speaking to regional media. He also called it a “man-made calamity”.
Certain sections of people in Kerala, strongly protested the implementation of the report since most of the farmers obtained their livelihood from the hilly regions in Wayanad. The Government also rejected the report and didn’t implement any of its suggestions. The Committee’s report was criticized for being too Eco-friendly and hiding the ground realities. The Committee also recommended strong restrictions on the processes like mining and quarrying, use of land for non-forest purposes, construction of high rises, etc.
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