Wayanad Landslide: A tourist paradise lies in ruins after the worst natural disaster in Kerala's history
It is a race against time as rescue teams dig through the rubble, looking for any signs of life in the aftermath of the devastating landslides that hit Kerala's Wayanad in the early hours of Tuesday.
Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Meppadi, Attamala, and Noolpuzha were the worst hit in the landslide, which has left close to 200 people dead and many more unaccounted for. Entire villages have been wiped out and in place of the more than 400 houses that once stood there, just around 30 are left.
Located in northern Kerala, Wayanad is a hill station famous for its lush green forests, rolling hills, and sparkling waterfalls. The hill district, which is also home to several indigenous tribal communities, first hit the limelight in 2019 when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi decided to contest the Lok Sabha Elections from there. Rahul, who won Wayanad with a historic mandate, also retained his seat in 2024. However, he decided to give it up in favor of Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh.
Wayanad, which shares Kerala's border with both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, got its name from Vayal Nadu, which translates to "the land of paddy fields."
Other than the paddy fields, Wayanad, which is located at an altitude of 7,350 ft above sea level, is home to several mountains, forests, waterfalls, historic sites, and more, making it a much sought-after tourist destination.
In 2023 alone, Wayanad saw a domestic tourist footfall of 1,750,267, which was a post-pandemic high.
Tuesday's landslide hit parts of Wayanad during the peak of the monsoon tourism season, which sees a large tourist footfall to enjoy the rains, waterfalls, and lush greenery of the hills.
Some of the most famous tourist spots in Wayanad include:
Edakkal Caves
Edakkal Caves is an ancient cave at an altitude of 1,200 meters above sea level on Ambukutty Mala. It has large rocks and a small one wedged between the other two, with two chambers inside. It is home to one of the oldest Stone Age carvings ever discovered and has prehistoric inscriptions and pictorial scripts believed to be as old as 6000 BC.
Chembra Peak
Chembra Peak, located just eight kilometers from Kalpetta, is a popular trekking spot. At a height of 2,100 meters above sea level, Chembra is the tallest peak in Wayanad and has a naturally formed heart-shaped lake on top of it.
Banasura Sagar Dam
Banasura Sagar is one of the largest dams in Kerala and a major tourist attraction. There are options for boating, trekking, and nature walks at the dam.
Chain Tree of Karinthandan
According to local legend, this tree in Vythiri, which has a chain hanging from it, is believed to hold the ghost of a tribal man locked on it. According to legend a tribal man, Karinthandan, helped the British in the 18th century discover the Wayanad Ghat route, which made travel much easier. Instead of thanking Karinthandan for his help, the British engineer who was with him shot the tribal man dead.
Meenmutty Waterfalls
Meenmutty is another famous waterfall in Wayanad, located close to Kalpetta. Tourists have to trek about 2 kilometers through thick jungle to reach it. It is a sought-after location for adventure activities like rock climbing and swimming.
Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary??
Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary is the second-largest wildlife sanctuary in Kerala and is spread across four hill ranges: Sulthan Bathery, Muthanga, Kurichiat, and Tholpetty. It is home to a wide range of wildlife, including tigers, leopards, elephants, gaurs, deer, and more. It is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, which also includes the Nagarhole National Park and Bandipur National Park in Karnataka, as well as Mudumalai National Park in Tamil Nadu.
What went wrong in Wayanad
Wayanad's advantage is also its disadvantage. It is part of the Western Ghats and is considered one of the most ecologically fragile zones in the country.?
While tourism has undoubtedly benefited Wayanad economically, massive infrastructure projects and deforestation for agricultural purposes have been blamed for making the soil, especially on the hillsides, more prone to natural disasters like landslides.
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