The whole country is saddened by the destruction of nature in Wayanad district of Kerala. The number of deaths due to landslides after the rains is continuously increasing. So far the deaths of 123 people have been confirmed. More than 90 people are said to be missing, whereas, a large number of people have been rescued from the debris by NDRF, Army, Navy and Air Force personnel. 128 people are said to be injured. The weather is still bad in Wayanad. There is red alert due to heavy rain. That’s why the rescue team is facing a lot of difficulty. The Kerala government has declared two days of mourning after the tragedy.
The victims’ families are searching for their loved ones buried under the debris. Help of drones and dog squad is also being taken. According to the Chief Minister, the place (Mundakkai) where this landslide occurred falls in a high-risk disaster area and no people live there. From there, soil, stones and rocks rolled down to Churalmala, which is 6 kilometers away from the place where the landslide originated. This is not a sensitive place and many people have been living here for years. In view of this, there has been a huge loss of life here.
Perhaps no one has seen such devastation of nature before due to landslides after torrential rains in Wayanad. The pictures of devastation taken from drones are enough to show the scene of devastation. Flood encroachment is visible everywhere. The death toll in landslides is continuously increasing. The debris is still spewing out dead bodies. Many people are still buried under the debris. More than 116 people are said to be seriously injured in the accident. Army, Air Force and Navy all three are engaged in relief and rescue work. The situation is so bad that the rescue team is facing great difficulty even in taking out the bodies of people.
More than 200 army personnel also participated in the rescue.
The devastation of nature in Wayanad can be gauged from the fact that 10 dead bodies have been recovered from Pothukallu area of Malappuram, about 50 kilometers away from where the landslide occurred, which were washed away in the Chaliyar river. According to the rescue team, more people may still be buried under the debris. About 250 personnel of Civil Defense, Police, Fire Department, SDRF, NDRF are engaged in relief and rescue. At the same time, about 225 soldiers of 122 Infantry of the Army are engaged in the rescue operation. Indian Air Force has sent 2 helicopters from Sulur Airbase in Coimbatore, which are continuously rescuing people from the debris.
Relief work started on time in Churalamala area of Wayanad, but the rescue team found it very difficult to reach Mundakai area. Because, most of the roads leading there were destroyed. The government says that first the rescue should be completed and then work will be done on relief and rehabilitation.
4 villages washed away due to landslide
Four villages were washed away due to landslides and floods. Many settlements were buried under debris due to landslides following heavy rains in areas like Mepaddi, Mundakkai, Churalmala, Attamala, Noolpuzha of the district. The situation is so difficult that army personnel have had to be deployed for relief and rescue. It is difficult to believe that where till yesterday there was only greenery, only debris is visible there. Now there is only a scene of devastation all around. There are debris of houses buried under the slippery ground after the rains.
Local people say that this period of heavenly havoc came twice in Wayanad. Once at 2 o’clock in the night, a landslide occurred in Churalmala area, in which many houses, vehicles and shops were destroyed. After that, at around 4:10 in the morning, once again a landslide wreaked havoc. The tragedy, which took place about 20 kilometers away from Kalpetta city of Wayanad, has caused maximum devastation in Churalamala area.
CM appeals to people for help
Meanwhile on Tuesday, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan appealed to the people to come together to rebuild the destroyed lives and livelihoods, as they did in 2018 when floods ravaged the state. CM Vijayan said many people are offering help, but more help is needed to rebuild the affected areas and lives, and he urged everyone to contribute to the Chief Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund.
Vijayan said the initial landslide occurred at 2 am and the next landslide at 4.10 am, causing devastation in Mundakayi, Churalmala and Attamala areas of Wayanad. During this time everyone was sleeping. As a result, many people were swept away or trapped under the debris, resulting in the loss of a large number of lives and dozens of people still missing. 34 bodies have been identified and 18 of them have been handed over to their families. The Chief Minister also said that 16 bodies have been recovered from the Chaliyar river in Pothukal village of neighboring Malappuram district. Apart from this, search and rescue teams have also recovered body parts of the people who were swept away.
He said that many places in the hill district, including Mundkai and Churalmala, have been cut off from other areas due to landslides, due to which roads in the area have been washed away. He further said, “Vellaramala GVH school located there is completely buried under the ground. A river flowing through there is now flowing as two. There has been huge damage to homes and livelihoods. There are no people trapped under the debris or many Efforts are on to find the missing people.”
45 camps established in the district
The CM said, “As soon as we got information about the accident, we coordinated the rescue operations. Five state ministers went to Wayanad to coordinate and lead the search and rescue activities. The rescue operations were carried out with necessary equipment under the direct supervision of the ministers. The help of fire force, police etc. has also been provided on immediate basis to save the lives of the injured. Efforts are being made to provide better treatment and shift other people to safer places. 45 camps have been set up in the district and about 3,069 people have been rehabilitated there.”
Tamil Nadu provided help of Rs 5 crore
CM Vijayan said that many people are offering help, but more is needed to rebuild the affected areas and lives and he urged everyone to contribute to the Chief Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund. He said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has offered assistance of Rs 5 crore to Kerala, while Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) has offered Rs 2 crore. The CM has announced that the state will observe two days of official mourning over the tragic loss of lives and property in the Wayanad landslide. During this period, public programs and ceremonies will not be organized and the national flag will remain at half mast.
Wayanad landslide issue echoed in Parliament also
The opposition has demanded to declare the havoc of nature in Wayanad as a national disaster. Expressing grief over the accident, PM Modi has assured all possible help to Kerala. Home Minister Amit Shah took stock of the situation by talking to Kerala CMP P Vijayan on phone. Rahul Gandhi said that a roadmap should be prepared for the rehabilitation of the victims. Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi, who is the MP from Wayanad, will meet the victims of the accident on Wednesday. There is a red alert for heavy rain in many districts in Kerala. Red alert is also issued in Kozhikode, Malappuram, Wayanad, Kasaragod. The central government will provide Rs 2 lakh assistance to the families of the deceased. At the same time, financial assistance of Rs 50-50 thousand will be given to the injured. Army, Navy and Air Force are engaged in rescue operations in Wayanad.