Much of northern Kerala is susceptible to landslides, one reason why the Meppadi panchayat in Wayanad district, the site of Tuesday’s landslide, was demarcated as an eco-sensitive area by two expert committees 10 years ago. The K Kasturirangan-led high-level working group (HLWG) and a three-member expert committee formed by the Kerala government in 2013 had both recommended that this particular area be included in the larger eco-sensitive zone being demarcated in the state, but the recommendations have not yet been put into effect. The HLWG, which was formed to demarcate…