Kerala’s landslide warning system has technical shortcomings: Parliamentary committee

NEW DELHI: Kerala’s disaster management system has serious technical shortcomings, particularly in predicting landslides and issuing timely warnings, a parliamentary committee has said.

In a report tabled in the Rajya Sabha, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs flagged shortcomings in the state’s weather forecasting, landslide prediction and flood warning systems. It also raised concerns over the ineffective implementation of building regulations, land-use planning and coastal zone management rules.

The committee noted that around 4.5% of Kerala’s geographical area is flood-prone, while 14.4% is vulnerable to landslides. More than half of the state’s coastline is also considered disaster-prone.

Kerala’s high population density and growing encroachments in environmentally fragile areas further heighten the state’s vulnerability, the report said.

Three areas need attention

The committee said Kerala needs to focus on three key areas:

1. Fix gaps in land use and construction practices.
2. Introduce development standards based on disaster risk.
3. Strengthen public awareness about disasters.

Wayanad, Idukki need special attention

The Centre informed the Lok Sabha that the Geological Survey of India (GSI) began work in 2021 to develop a system to forecast rainfall-induced landslides in Kerala. The GSI started issuing landslide forecast bulletins for Wayanad from June 25, 2024. For Idukki, it issued 233 warnings during the 2025-26 period. The Centre also said that a special prototype model was developed in 2020 for 10 landslide-prone states, including Kerala. Union Minister of State for Coal and Mines Satish Chandra Dubey gave the information in a written reply to Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi.