The unravelling of the Western Ghats ecology
The nature-development equilibrium is broken, leading to climate disasters.
At least 100 people have died in floods in three states in peninsular India — Kerala, Karnataka, and Maharashtra — in August due to monsoon floods. There are several reasons, as reported in a series of articles in Hindustan Times, for the havoc and deaths, such as changes in land-use patterns, excessive quarrying and unscientific plantations (Kerala), poor management of dams (Maharashtra), and lack of eco-sensitivity on the part of all the Western Ghat states. These existing issues have been aggravated because of one common factor — excessive rainfall during a short period, a telltale sign of climate change — leading to death and destruction. A similar scenario has also unfolded in the northern states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
The disaster in the Western Ghat region is a reminder that the area is very vulnerable, and utmost care must be taken to ensure that the delicate balance between nature and development is not disturbed. For example, reports from Kerala have said that excessive quarrying and wrongly constructed pits for monocultures resulted in landslides. There has been enough warning of such disasters. In 2011, the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel, also known the Madhav Gadgil Committee, had asked for a ban on mining and quarrying in the eco-sensitive zone. But the Gadgil report was criticised as biased against development, the government constituted another committee, the high-level working group or the Kasturirangan committee, which recommended a reduced zone of protection.
In an era of climate change, when such excessive rainfall and droughts are becoming almost a normal affair, state governments have to improve its service delivery when it comes to rescue and rehabilitation. It cannot be caught napping, like say, Uttarakhand was in 2013. Kerala is a good role model to follow. Learning from last year’s floods, this year the government has set up camps that are well stocked with food, water, and medical facilities. For climate-sensitive governance, states must invest in climate-resilient infrastructure, build a cadre of skilled personnel at community levels, and also teach the people how to live sustainably and tackle climate-related climate emergencies.