Shah stressed that the Indian government had issued an early warning to Kerala on July 23, seven days before the landslide incident. Subsequent warnings were also given on July 24 and 25.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday (July 31) expressed his condolences to the families affected by the recent landslides in Kerala and defended the government's early warning system amid rising scrutiny. Addressing the Rajya Sabha, Shah sought to clarify the timeline and effectiveness of the early warnings provided to the state government.
Shah stressed that the Indian government had issued an early warning to Kerala on July 23, seven days before the landslide incident. Subsequent warnings were also given on July 24 and 25. On July 26, an additional alert was issued, predicting heavy rainfall exceeding 20 cm and warning of potential landslides and mudflows that could result in fatalities.
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The early warning system had warned the Kerala Government of a potential landslide on 23rd itself, yet no appropriate action was taken..
Amit Shah blasts INDI Alliance for doing politics over deaths of innocent people pic.twitter.com/vaAHdJLNbl
"The government has invested Rs. 2000 crores since 2014 in enhancing the early warning system," Shah said, addressing concerns about the system's efficacy. He highlighted that India's early warning capabilities, developed since 2016, are among the most advanced globally, capable of predicting severe weather events up to seven days in advance.
Shah criticized the Kerala government's response, questioning whether the warnings were acted upon and if the necessary evacuation measures were implemented. "Under this early warning system, nine NDRF teams were dispatched to Kerala on July 23 at my direction. What did the Kerala government do? Were people evacuated? If so, how did the casualties occur?" he asked.
In response to the disaster, the Navy's Southern Naval Command deployed a disaster relief team from INS Zamorin at Ezhimala, following a request from the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA). The team, comprising 68 personnel including medical staff and equipped with essential rescue tools, arrived at the affected site. Additional teams are on standby for rapid deployment if required.