On the occasion of Amma’s 71st birthday, the Ashram is unveiling a major disaster-relief initiative aimed at enhancing landslide resilience in Wayanad, Kerala. This will include an aid package of ₹15 crores ($1.8 million) to support the survivors of the recent landslides and strengthen disaster response in the region.
Amrita University will also deploy its advanced landslide early warning systems in Wayanad District’s most vulnerable areas, to protect people from the growing threat of climate-change-induced disasters. Work on the project is set to commence as soon as official clearance is received from the Kerala State Government.
This new initiative follows the 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 about 400 injuries, with another 118 people still reported missing. Given Wayanad’s continuing vulnerability, the program will play a critical role in preventing future loss of life.
“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,” said Swami Amritaswarupananda Puri, Amma’s most senior disciple.
“With a financial package of ₹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.”
To conduct a preliminary assessment of Wayanad’s landslide disaster, Amma sent a team of experts from Amrita University to assess the impact of the landslides. They also visited other landslide-prone areas in the villages of Meppadi, Pozhuthana and Vyithiri. It is based upon their research that the initiative has been conceived.
Amma’s approach to any situation, including disasters, is action endowed with compassion.
Swami Amritaswarupananda Puri
Soon they will return to pinpoint the most critical areas requiring protection. These zones 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 is Amrita’s Provost and Director of the Amrita Centre for Wireless Networks and Applications. She led the team that travelled to the site to observe first-hand the landslide aftermath.
“Our researchers have implemented AI-enabled Amrita Landslide Early Warning System (A-LEWS) in both the Western Ghats and Northeastern Himalayas. The system has been effectively saving human life from imminent disasters from 2009 onwards by issuing real-time early warnings,” said Dr. Ramesh.
“We are now assessing landslide-affected areas in Wayanad to develop systems that enhance resilience and protection. We are deeply grateful to Amma 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.”
Read more about our efforts after this year’s landslides in Wayanad.
