A stark reminder
The Wayanad tragedy is a stark reminder that things cannot continue as usual as far as the hills are concerned. That there has been a huge loss of life in Wayanad points to the need for expanded thinking. Wayanad is extremely vulnerable to landslides and soil erosion. Just as in the Himalayas, the Western Ghats have a few similarities in extreme vulnerabilities. The Himalayas faced the brunt last year where more than 400 people died in Himachal Pradesh and there was a loss of ₹12,000 crore in terms of assets.
Another point is that in the hills, once water reaches a level of sequestration, slides are bound to happen even if there is 100% tree canopy. This was pointed out by the anthropologist Michael Thomson in the 1970s in a co-authored work, Uncertainty on a Himalayan Scale: An Institutional Theory of Environmental Perception and a Strategic Framework for the Sustainable Development of the Himalayas.
The IPCC VI has pointed out that extreme weather events are bound to be more frequent. Hence, adaptation is the only way to preserve lives in the mountains. Adaptation would start by mapping every patch of land. ‘No means no’ should be the development dictum in landslide-prone zones. Remote-sensing technology is required. Stay away from vulnerable zones. Enhancing the capacities of early warning systems and integration of institutions are a must. Local governance institutions must ensure that they have and are aware of a climate atlas for their regions.
Tikender Panwar,
New Delhi
Gubernatorial office
Preventing Governors from acting in a quasi-judicial manner has been a long-standing demand of many a State government. While the Supreme Court of India had highlighted the need for Governors act within the confines of the constitutional office, the recent petition by the Kerala governmentshould be used as yet another opportunity for the Court to have a closer look at the inactions of Governors.
Prabhu Raj R.,
Bengaluru
