PM Modi's visit to landslide-ravaged Wayanad brings hope as Kerala seeks financial aid

Youths from Vaniyampuzha and Iruttukuthi tribes off Munderi in Pothukal near Nilambur help search for victims of Wayanad tragedy in the swollen Chaliyar with their bamboo raft. | Photo credit: SAKEER HUSSAIN

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to landslide-ravaged villages in Wayanad on Saturday is expected to provide much-needed relief to thousands of survivors as they struggle to rebuild their lives after one of the worst natural disasters in Kerala's history.

Many people have called for the Wayanad landslides, which have unofficially claimed over 400 lives, to be declared a national disaster, although there is no legal provision for this. But experts say the disaster can be classified as Level 3 under the National Disaster Management Plan, indicating a catastrophic situation beyond the capacity of state and district authorities.

There have also been calls for the Centre to declare the disaster as a calamity of grave nature so that all MPs in both houses of Parliament can utilise a part of the MPs' local area development scheme for the rehabilitation of Wayanad. Earlier, the Centre had declared the 2018 floods as a calamity of grave nature. Now, around Rs 2,000-3,000 crore is required to rebuild the shattered lives of the people of Wayanad, experts said.

The state government has already asked the Centre to carry out complete rehabilitation of the victims and set up a township for the affected families. Meanwhile, the Union Home Ministry has appointed a nine-member team to submit a report on the state government's request.

The Prime Minister also received a report submitted by Union Minister of State for Minorities Affairs, Fisheries and Animal Husbandry George Kurian, who was involved in relief and rescue operations last week.

Enhanced cooperation

Officials said the enhanced coordination between the Centre and the state government was clearly demonstrated when the Union Defence Ministry promptly deployed the Army, Air Force, Navy and National Disaster Response Force, among other agencies, for a comprehensive Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operation.

The Army has also set up a command and control centre headed by Major General VT Mathew, General Officer Commanding, Karnataka and Kerala Sub-Region, and Brigadier Arjun Segan in Kozhikode to coordinate HADR efforts. The Group Engineer Task Force and Madras Engineer Centre have also constructed a 190-foot Bailey bridge on the Meepadi-Choormala road for movement of ambulances and heavy machinery.

All this revealed that the cooperation between the Centre and the state in managing the disaster remained intact, except for Union Minister for Forests, Environment and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav, who suggested that the state had allowed illegal habitation and mining in the area.

Mr Modi will land at Kannur International Airport at 11:20 am on Saturday, where he will be received by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Governor Arif Mohammad Khan. Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Tourism Suresh Gopi will also accompany them to Kalpetta in specially-equipped IAF helicopters.

They will visit landslide sites and interact with survivors at relief camps in Meppadi.

Besides conducting an aerial survey of the landslide-affected area in Wayanad, Mr Modi will be briefed by the rescue forces on the evacuation efforts. He will also supervise the ongoing rehabilitation work and chair a review meeting.

Mr Modi is expected to return to Delhi from Kannur at 3:40 pm. The camaraderie among the leaders during this crucial period is expected to pave the way for the short and long term goals of Wayanad rehabilitation initiatives.