Politics heated up over Wayanad landslides, central and state governments face off over warning

A devastating landslide in Kerala's Wayanad has caused huge loss of life and property. More than 150 people have died and the death toll is still rising. On the other hand, a large number of people have been injured. Many houses have collapsed due to landslides. At present relief and rescue work is going on fast. But even this natural calamity has started politics. A situation of tension is being seen between the center and the state regarding this tragedy.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserted in both the Houses of Parliament (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) that the state government had been alerted about the natural calamity. The state government was alerted a week before the landslide incident in Kerala and 9 teams of NDRF were also dispatched on 23rd July itself, although the damage would have been much less had the state government been alerted even after seeing the NDRF teams.

Orange alert declared before rains: Chief Minister

After Union Home Minister Amit Shah's speech in Parliament, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan dismissed Home Minister Shah's alert statement as false. Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijay dismissed Amit Shah's claim that the state government was warned only on July 23 last week about a possible natural disaster in Wayanad due to heavy rains.

CM Vijayan said that the Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued only an orange alert in Wayanad district due to rain before the landslide. However, the district received more than 500 mm of rain, which was much higher than the forecast of the Met department.

"A red alert was sounded for Wayanad district only after the landslides occurred in Wayanad on Tuesday morning," Vijayan said at a Pratrakar Parishad held in Kerala's capital Thiruvananthapuram. However, he also said that this was not the time to make "allegations" and that he was not taking Home Minister Amit Shah's comments adversely.

NDRF teams sent last week: Amit Shah

A red alert in a rain warning means more than 20 cm of heavy to very heavy rain in 24 hours. While Orange Alert means 6 cm to 20 cm. It rains very heavily.

Earlier, Home Minister Amit Shah had claimed in the Rajya Sabha that the Kerala government had not heeded the earlier warning given by the Center regarding the rains and was not alert even after the arrival of NDRF battalions in the state. He said that the state was alerted about the natural calamity about 7 days before the July 30 landslide occurred yesterday, Tuesday. Then on July 24, a second warning was given.

The home minister claimed that the damage could have been reduced if the Kerala government had been alerted by the arrival of the NDRF teams and taken necessary action. However, Amit Shah speaking on the landslide in the Lok Sabha after the Rajya Sabha said that this is the time to stand like a mountain with the people of Wayanad, the Modi government is committed to this. All necessary measures will be taken for relief, rescue and rehabilitation in the landslide affected area.