Since materials such as stone, rock, and sand are public resources, the government must urgently legislate to bring quarries under public ownership, T.V. Sajeev, Chief Scientist, Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI), has said. He was speaking at a workshop organised by the Paddy Land and Watershed Conservation Committee on the topic ‘Landslides: Precautions for Survival’ here recently.He said there was a growing tendency to blame rain for the disasters, while overlooking the man-made causes. With the aid of satellite images, precise locations and data of quarries in Kerala had been identified and published. This had made it easier to locate quarries in disaster-prone areas. This visibility had further highlighted the fact that uncontrolled and unscientific quarrying was destabilising the Western Ghats.“Illegal quarries are operating unchecked. The government must ban them. Those violating regulations are not monitored. This represents a violation of the law and a threat to democracy,” he added. “Quarries are undermining our democratic process. Political parties, which were supposed to act on the needs of the people and address their concerns, are increasingly distancing themselves from the public. When quarries and big businesses meet the financial needs of political parties, they can operate continuously without any accountability to the people. This allows them to make decisions, including reducing the range of quarries, without constraint. The promise to bring quarries under public ownership has not been fulfilled, which is eroding democracy,” Dr. Sajeev said. He emphasised that, as resources like stone, rock, and sand are public assets, the government must urgently legislate to bring quarries under public control.S. Sreekumar, geologist, stated that the 2018 floods had completely changed the understanding of disaster-prone areas. Extreme rainfall had become a significant factor in triggering disasters. The landslides at Mundakkai-Chooralmala occurred within a disaster-prone area. However, the debris flow was not just a few km but extended up to 7 km. Such occurrences were rare and needed detailed study.“The large-scale human settlements in these areas have amplified the impact of disasters, resulting in significant loss of life and economic damage. The removal of large trees, whose roots used to bolt the soil to the rock under it, to make way for rubber and tea plantations has increased the risk of landslides. In the 2018 Thrissur landslides, over 80% originated from rubber plantations and forested areas. Tourism projects in forests and road construction in hilly areas have also been observed to exacerbate the impact,” Dr. Sreekumar said. The landslides and soil erosion in areas such as Akamala and Panjal in Thrissur district must be taken seriously. The government and local self-government institutions should set up early warning systems and form local vigilance committees. The master plan for local disaster management should be implemented in every area.The workshop called on the government to take urgent steps to prepare micro-level disaster management plans.K. Vidyasagar, Chairman of the Paddy Land and Watershed Conservation Committee, presided over the event. Published – September 11, 2024 07:21 pm IST