Court’s Remarks on Landslides
The Kerala High Court has made significant remarks about the landslides in Wayanad district, which resulted in over 300 deaths. The court stated that this disaster is an example of nature’s response to human “negligence and greed.”
Ignoring Warning Signs
The court noted that warning signs had been visible for a long time, but they were ignored in favor of advancing development agendas. This approach, aimed at achieving economic prosperity, has been shown to be flawed by recent natural disasters, including those in 2018 and 2019, the global pandemic, and the recent landslides.
Need for Change
Justice A.K. Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice Shyam Kumar V.M. said that if improvements are not made and positive steps are not taken to address these issues, it might be too late. The court emphasized the need for changes in methods to prevent future disasters.
Review of Disaster Management Policies
The court will review the state’s policies on natural resource exploitation, environmental conservation, wildlife protection, disaster prevention, and sustainable development. The bench also directed the state to assess the environmental impacts and hold public meetings to gather residents’ opinions.
Further Instructions
The court has instructed the central and Kerala governments to submit affidavits explaining what measures have been taken to handle these disasters. They must also clarify if there are proposals to increase the number of subject experts under the Disaster Management Act (DMA) 2005. The governments have been given three weeks to file these affidavits.
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