A groundbreaking proposal has been put forward to designate the site of the 2024 Wayanad landslide — the largest recorded in India’s history — as the country’s first landslide geoheritage site.
The proposal seeks to conserve the disaster zone as a living laboratory for research, education, and geotourism, while also serving as a memorial for the more than 400 lives lost. The tragedy left behind a scarred landscape that researchers believe holds immense scientific, educational, and cultural value.
If approved, Wayanad would become a model for blending disaster memory with conservation, on the lines of global sites such as Italy’s Vajont landslide memorial, Canada’s Frank Slide Heritage Park, and China’s Badong National Observation and Research Station for Geohazards.
The proposed geoheritage zone lies within the ‘no-go’ areas of Meppadi panchayat, stretching 50-100m along the Punnapuzha river. Though unsuitable for habitation, the landscape — strewn with buried homes, crushed vehicles, and massive dislodged boulders — offers invaluable clues to understanding landslide dynamics.
“We need to retain the landslide area as it is. Future technologies may help unravel the unknown factors behind the slide,” said Dr K S Sajinkumar, assistant professor of geology at the University of Kerala and lead author of the study. “If left unattended, the lessons will be lost.”
Researchers argue that Wayanad’s scale and geological complexity make it a “natural laboratory” for landslide research. Beyond academic value, the site can be developed in line with the Unesco Global Geopark Network, linking nearby attractions like Banasura Sagar Dam, Kuruva Island, and the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary to boost sustainable geotourism.
Despite its potential, conservation efforts have lagged. Reports indicate encroachments into the no-go zone and misuse of displaced boulders for construction. The expert team is scheduled to meet Chief Secretary A Jayathilak next week to formally present the proposal.
The study, conducted by a consortium of nine scientific institutions, including the University of Kerala, Kerala State Disaster Management Authority, NRSC-ISRO, CSIR-CBRI, IISER Mohali, and international partners like the University of Mississippi, British Geological Survey, and Michigan Technological University, was published in the August edition of Geoheritage, a peer-reviewed journal published by Springer Science+Business Media.