The expert committee on the Kattippara landslip, headed by Sub Collector V. Vigneswari, on Monday discussed the possibilities of imposing restrictions on newer constructions in all landslip-prone areas in the district. The proposal came up during a discussion on the committee’s interim report which said that land developments in the area were a reason for the landslip.
Scientists from the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM), who played a major role in the preparation of the interim report, pointed out that the only way to minimise casualties in such natural calamities was to impose stringent regulations for monitoring all types of constructions including houses and roads. They also stressed the need for framing a new regulation equivalent to the existing Coastal Zone Regulation Management Act for the whole Western Ghat region.
A CWRDM scientist, who was part of the expert committee that prepared the study report, said the reason behind the Kattippara landslip was a mix of several factors in which land developments by private holders too was a confirmed factor. “The landslip had occurred in eight locations in Kattippara panchayat, and we would not be able to conclude that all those occurred due to large-scale constructions,” he clarified.
At the same time, the scientist confirmed that some rural roads vertically constructed in the area and land-levelling attempts were causing an undesired impact on the landslip-prone region. The impact of the landslip following the monsoon downpour was double, as the hillock mostly contained weathered rock, and the clay content in the soil was very high, he pointed out.
The scientist also said that the CWRDM’s conclusions were all scientifically substantiated with facts and figures. “We even checked the soil type, category of soil, and the average rainfall to ascertain whether it had doubled the impact in the region,” he added.
Meanwhile, the expert team could not gather scientific evidence on the illegal construction of a weir atop the hill, which villagers had earlier pointed out as the prime reason for the landslip. A report on the matter will be prepared after securing the satellite image of the spot from the National Remote Sensing Agency.
Representatives of various departments such as Geology, Revenue, Town Planning, and Soil Survey attended the meeting. Ms. Vigneswari said the final report with inputs from the other involved departments would be ready after four days. A final appraisal too will be conducted ahead of initiating any action, she added.
It was on June 14 that the landslip rocked Kattippara claiming 14 lives. Five houses were buried under the soil. Following the incident, several families in the landslip-prone region were shifted to rehabilitation camps.
