Thiruvananthapuram: District Collector Anukumari has ordered a ban on parking at the helipad and restriction of entry of vehicles on the path leading to the north cliff to avoid further incidents of landslides, reports Manorama Online. It directed the District Tourism Promotion Council and Varkala Municipality to submit a report within a month on the measures taken to ensure safety of visitors. The Collector has sought an immediate report following Manorama’s report on the landslide which occurred again near the cliff helipad due to heavy rain on Saturday. Besides, the collector also called a meeting of officials of the geology department, DTPC and Varkala municipality. Officials noted that mudslides were constantly occurring in the northern parts of the cliff from the helipad area, called North Cliff due to heavy rain.

Security wall speculation
Meanwhile, there were rumors that the security wall constructed using bamboo, sticks and iron mesh near the cliff path was not safe enough. A warning sign has also been placed near the entrance to North Cliff. The entry of vehicles and pedestrians has been restricted here. In the meantime, the collector has also received complaints about this. After encountering mudslides recently, the district collector had asked to restrict the entry of vehicles on the cliff path. Besides, she also urged the authorities to take strict action against a few hotel and resort owners in North Cliff for discharging their sewage into the open.

Why is the Varkala cliff fragile?
According to experts, the cliff is not made of hard, consolidated rock and its bedrock lies about 40 m below the formation. “It tends to erode in our humid tropical climate and during monsoons. It is imperative to reduce the weight as you climb the cliff. Even if we can’t do anything about the existing buildings, we can at least avoid new constructions,” GSI (Kerala unit) Deputy Director General V Ambili told us a few months ago. The Balimandapam here is also quite close to the sea. “The nearby bathrooms and toilets were built after part of the cliff was demolished, and therefore the area will tend to collapse during the monsoon season,” explained Ambili. To protect it from disturbances, it is advisable to go at least 600 m from the edge without activity, she said.