After a report suggesting possibility of landslides in the Anthoniar Colony of Munnar in Kerala’s Idukki district was released, the residents of the colony were moved to a safe location. The report, prepared by the Centre for Wireless Networks and Applications (CWNA) of the Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, was submitted to the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) on June 24. Following this, on Sunday, July 25, another report from the Soil Survey and Conservation Department predicted landslide possibilities in the nearby Laksham Colony which necessitated further evacuation of residents.
"In total, 65 members of 27 families are now residing in a safe camp set up at the Mount Carmel Church hall (in Munnar). We had first gone to Anthoniar Colony to make the inspections after getting the report from the KSDMA on June 24. The same day, we shifted 16 families comprising 34 residents to the Church hall. Another 22 families moved to houses of their relatives," Devikulam Tahasildar R Radhakrishnan tells TNM.
A report on Times of India says that the CWNA report on the landslide risks in Anthoniar Colony alerted people to be watchful in Munnar region. Maneesha V Ramesh, director of the CWNA who prepared the report cites 'first-level regional warning for landslides using global and site-specific rainfall thresholds' as having been crossed. This meant that there were possibilities of landslides in the landslide-prone areas. The Amrita University's wireless sensor network for landslide detection was deployed at the Anthoniar colony to warn of possible landslides considering the torrential rains that fell on the area.
Last year, the Pettimudi region of Munnar had faced a massive landslide, which killed 70 people. Four of the bodies are still missing.
Kerala which has been receiving unprecedented rainfall in the past few years has been subjected to disastrous floods in the years of 2018 and 2019.