New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, has called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Central Government to declare the recent landslides in Kerala’s Wayanad, which claimed over 400 lives, as a national disaster. However, a 2013 statement by a minister from the Congress-led UPA government reveals that no such concept exists under current central government rules.
On Saturday, PM Modi is scheduled to visit Wayanad to assess the ongoing relief and rehabilitation efforts and meet with survivors of the recent landslides in the region.
In response to the calls from various quarters, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who represents Wayanad in Lok Sabha, the Bharatiya Janata Party pointed out on Sunday that the concept of a ‘national disaster’ does not exist within the framework of central government guidelines, a policy that has remained unchanged since the tenure of the UPA government.
A Parliament document from 2013, accessed by HT, shows that then Minister of State for Home, Mullappally Ramachandran, clarified that “there is no provision to declare a natural disaster as a national disaster.”
Muraleedharan, a former Union Minister, reiterated this point, citing the 2013 statement, and added that the responsibility for rescue and relief measures following natural disasters primarily lies with the state governments.
He further emphasized that the central government’s priority is to provide immediate relief and response assistance during such calamities. There are no fixed norms for these actions, but in cases of severe disasters, additional assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) can be considered, following established procedures.
The landslides that struck Mundakki, Chooralmala, and Vellarimala villages in Wayanad on July 30 resulted in at least 400 deaths, with many others still missing, marking one of the worst natural disasters to hit the southern state.
In the wake of the disaster, the Modi government quickly mobilized more than 1,200 personnel from the NDRF, Army, Air Force, Navy, Fire Services, and Civil Defence for rescue and relief operations. Over 100 ambulances, along with doctors and medical staff, were also deployed to provide medical support and treatment.
The Indian Army constructed a 190-foot Bailey bridge in Wayanad within 71 hours, which has been critical in enabling the movement of heavy machinery and ambulances. This bridge significantly enhanced rescue operations, allowing the evacuation of around 200 people who were stranded due to the damage to the existing bridge.
Additionally, the central government has constituted an inter-ministerial central team (IMCT) to visit the affected areas and assess the situation further.
