Centre alerted Kerala govt on July 23, Amit Shah tells RS on Wayanad disaster

Wayanad, July 31 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that the Centre had alerted the Kerala government on July 23 and had given a warning of a possible danger lurking in and around Wayanad.The Home Minister stated that the Centre should not be blamed as information was given well in advance and even a team of the NDRF was sent to the state.”Everyone is questioning the government, but I would like to ask what did the Kerala government do. It was a vulnerable situation, but why the people were not shifted to safer places? They were only shifted after the disaster,” said HM Shah.Kerala BJP president K. Surendran slammed the Vijayan government and said that it was crystal clear that the state government completely ignored the early warnings issued by the Centre.”The state government’s inaction led to the increase in the number of casualties. Unpardonable,” Surendran posted on X soon after the Home Minister’s address in the Rajya Sabha.Surendran said, “The recent landslide tragedy in Wayanad, claiming over 150 lives, could have been prevented. Despite repeated warnings from the Central Government on July 23, 24, 25, and even 26 about severe weather and potential landslides, the Kerala Government led by Pinarayi Vijayan ignored these alerts. Instead of addressing their failures, the Left and Congress are now indulging in political drama in Parliament. Union Home Minister @AmitShahJi has rightly highlighted how effective early warning systems in Odisha and Gujarat have saved lives.”He further said in the post, “The State Government and their INDI alliance partner Congress must be held accountable for this disaster. Disaster Prevention is crucial, and political posturing only diverts from real solutions. We stand with the people of Kerala and will do our best to address the situation.”Meanwhile, hundreds of defence personnel and several other agencies were engaged in rescue and relief operations in the four worst affected landslide areas of Kerala’s Wayanad district — Churalpara, Velarimala, Mundakayil and Pothukalu. The death toll is mounting as more bodies trapped under building debris are being recovered.The death toll has now touched 184 while 225 are presently reported missing. Around 7,000 people are now housed in around 50 relief camps.Incidentally, in 2018 when Kerala witnessed the worst-ever floods in a century, there was a war of words between the Kerala government and the Centre with the former blaming the latter for not giving any advance information.Now with Home Minister Shah saying in Parliament that information had been given well in advance, it remains to be seen how the Kerala unit of the BJP will take up the issue and also how the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government reacts.Union Minister of State for Fisheries George Kurian, who is camping in the state for relief and rescue operations, said on Tuesday that the situation is such that Wayanad doesn’t even have an MP today.–IANSsg/dpb