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Construction curbs imposed in 102 sq km area in Wayanad

KOZHIKODE: The order of the Wayanad district disaster management authority (DDMA), which has imposed strict curbs on constructions in landslide-prone areas, will cover 102 sq km area of the hill district.

It will make the hill slopes and areas within 500 m radial distance from the boundary points of landslide-prone areas off limits to construction of tourism resorts and large buildings.


Wayanad district collector A R Ajayakumar said that while the order strictly forbids large constructions in the areas marked in red as high hazard zonation in the district’s landslide zonation map of the state disaster management authority (SDMA), the DDMA will make the restrictions and prohibitions applicable to low hazard zonation areas (marked in orange) if it receives genuine complaints of constructions or land use changes in such areas posing safety risks.

According to SDMA, around 196.6 sq km area in the district comes under low-hazard zonation area for landslide susceptibility.

The district collector said that the order which put in place several restrictions and environmental safeguards was issued after finding that such curbs are inevitable for the very survival of the district.

“Deforestation and reckless commercial interventions on land have destabilised the environment. When rains of extreme intensity happens, the precarious hills inevitably succumb, causing casualties and destruction. Going by the natural disasters that took place in Kurichiyarmala, Pancharakkolli, Muttil, etc. in the recent past, coupled with the outrageous speed of environmental destructions, the disaster that took place at Puthumala is a road-sign to the future,” said the DDMA order.

The district collector said that care has been taken to ensure that while enforcing disaster prevention measures, the development needs of the local community is also taken into consideration, and therefore, has allowed people to construct own residential buildings and buildings for educational and healthcare needs and small-scale industries. However, the built-up area of such buildings shall not exceed 200 sq m.

“Being a tourist destination, there has been proliferation of resorts in the district. Even there was a resort within 500 m radius of the landslide spot of Puthumala which has also been damaged badly. Construction of resorts in landslide-prone areas should have to be strictly controlled to prevent future disasters,” he said.

He said that the existing properties in landslide-prone areas will be scrutinised by an expert committee to see if the structures pose any serious threat of disaster.

Read also Strict curbs imposed on building construction in Wayanad Wayanad: Rehabilitation plan for Puthumala moves ahead
District soil conservation officer P U Das and member of the expert committee said that almost all the mountain slopes which have significant risk of landslides like Ambukuthi mala, Vaduvanchal, Puthumala, Chooralmala, Elambilerikunnu, Vythiri, Lakkidi, Sugandhagiri, Pozhuthana, Banasuramala, Thondermudi, Valad, Periya, Makkimala, Thondermala, Brahmagirimala, Muttil mala, Kurumbalakkota and Gudalayikunnu have come under the high hazard zonation areas, where the restrictions will be in place.

“The zonation map has to be interpolated into a toposheet of the areas so that we have a definite data set complete with the slope of the hills and their other topographical features. All the landslides witnessed in the district during the last two years were in the areas classified as high-hazard zones,” he added.

Wayanad Prakrithi Samrakshana Samithi president N Badusha, however, called for updating the landslide zonation map and also imposing the restrictions in 1km area around such areas.

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