Centre denies Kerala's request to declare Wayanad landslide as 'national disaster'

The Union government has refused to declare the Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslide in Kerala a national disaster, citing current SDRF and NDRF norms. Instead, they emphasized the state government's primary responsibility in managing disaster-related matters, having already allocated Rs 388 crore to Kerala for SDRF operations.

New Delhi: The Union government has officially stated that the Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslide in Wayanad, Kerala, cannot be declared a national disaster. Nityanand Rai, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, made this clarification in response to a request from Prof. K. V. Thomas, Kerala’s Special Officer in Delhi, who had written to the Prime Minister seeking the national disaster declaration.

In his reply, the Union Minister explained that the current SDRF, NDRF  norms do not allow for such a declaration. Rai emphasized that the primary responsibility for managing disaster-related matters lies with the state government. He also pointed out that flash floods are already listed as one of the 12 notified disasters under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) guidelines, which place the onus of financial support on the state.

The Union Government, he noted, has already allocated Rs 388 crore to Kerala for SDRF operations in the current financial year. Of this, Rs 291 crore has been provided by the Union Government, with the first installment of Rs 145 crore disbursed on August 31. Additionally, the state’s SDRF fund will have a balance of Rs 394 crore by April 1, 2024, providing Kerala with sufficient resources to manage the ongoing disaster response.