September 27, Amritapuri, Kerala:On the occasion of the 71st birthday of Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (Amma), the Mata Amritanandamayi Math (MAM) is unveiling a major disaster-relief initiative aimed at enhancing landslide resilience in Wayanad, Kerala. This will include an aid package of ₹15 crores to support the survivors of recent landslides and enhance landslide resilience in the region. In collaboration with its university, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, MAM will also deploy advanced landslide early warning systems in Wayanad District’s most vulnerable areas, to protect people from the growing threat of climate-change-induced disasters in the region. Work on the project is set to commence as soon as official clearance is received from the Kerala State Government.
This new initiative follows a series of devastating landslides that took place on July 30, 2024, causing widespread destruction in the villages of Punjirimattom, Mundakkai, Chooralmala and Vellarimala. The disaster – one of the deadliest in Kerala’s recent history – resulted in more than 400 fatalities and 397 injuries, with another 118 people still reported missing. Given Wayanad’s continuing vulnerability, the Math believes the programme will play a critical role in preventing future loss of life.
Speaking about the initiative, Swami Amritaswarupananda Puri, Vice Chairman, Mata Amritanandamayi Math, said, “Amma’s approach to any situation, including disasters, is action endowed with compassion. She believes compassion is the first and last step of spirituality and life. Hence, Amma wishes that the survivors of Wayanad transcend immediate relief. It focuses on their long-term safety and sustainable well-being. With a financial package of INR 15 crores, we aim to support recovery efforts, including implementing the Amrita Landslide Early Warning System (A-LEWS) and providing additional necessities that the community would require to build back better. The community’s specific needs, beyond what existing aid packages cover, will be identified and addressed once a thorough assessment is completed. The implementation of A-LEWS will be initiated as soon as the Kerala State Government and relevant local administration sanction the project.”
To conduct a preliminary assessment of Wayanad’s landslide disaster, Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, who also serves as the university’s chancellor, sent a team of experts from Amrita to assess the impact of landslides. As instructed by the chancellor, the team also visited other landslide-prone areas in Meppadi, Pozhuthana and Vyithiri. It is based upon this team’s research that the ₹15-crore initiative has been conceived.
Soon the team will return to pinpoint the most critical areas requiring protection. These areas will be equipped with site-specific landslide early warning systems, which will provide crucial alerts about impending landslides to ensure timely evacuations and to achieve a zero-casualty vision in landslide disasters. In addition to these site-specific systems, a regional-level landslide early warning system will also be implemented, featuring a cutting-edge real-time risk-visualisation dashboard for district and state authorities to monitor real-time risk.
Dr. Maneesha V Ramesh, Provost, and Director of the Amrita Centre for Wireless Networks and Applications, stated, “Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham’s researchers have implemented AI-enabled Amrita Landslide Early Warning System (A-LEWS) in both Western Ghats and North Eastern Himalayas. The system has been effectively saving human life from imminent disasters from 2009 onwards by issuing real-time early warnings. Under the direction of our Chancellor, Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (AMMA), we are now assessing landslide-affected areas in Wayanad to develop systems that enhance resilience and protect lives. We are deeply grateful to AMMA and the Mata Amritanandamayi Math for the opportunity to deploy A-LEWS in these highly landslide-prone regions of Wayanad, offering both regional and site-specific warnings to save lives.”
Amrita’s innovative approaches have gained international acclaim, being designated a World Center of Excellence in Landslide Risk Reduction by the International Consortium on Landslides (ICL) since 2017. In 2023, Amrita also received the prestigious Averted Disaster Award (ADA) for its exceptional disaster risk-management interventions, highlighting successful global programmes and policies.
The Mata Amritanandamayi Math’s humanitarian efforts focus on providing food, shelter, healthcare, education, and livelihood to those in need, with a special focus on disaster recovery. Since 2001, Amma has dedicated more than ₹700 crore to relief-and- rehabilitation efforts across India, helping communities recover from the devastating effects of disasters.
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