Wayanad landslides: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan counters Amit Shah's 'early warnings'
By Team Asianet Newsable | First Published Jul 31, 2024, 6:28 PM ISTVijayan pointed out that no red alert had been issued before the disaster, with the first red alert coming at 6 am on the morning after the incident. Additionally, between July 23 and July 28, the Central Meteorological Department did not issue any orange alerts for heavy rain in Kerala.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday (July 31) slammed Union Home Minister Amit Shah's recent remarks on the Wayanad landslides, stressing that this is not the time for blame. Shah had claimed that the central government had issued early warnings to Kerala, which the state allegedly did not respond to adequately.
Vijayan clarified the sequence of events and the state's response to the disaster. According to the CM, the affected areas were under an orange alert, with the Central Meteorological Center predicting rainfall between 115 and 204 mm. However, the actual rainfall far exceeded these predictions, with 200 mm recorded in the first 24 hours and an additional 372 mm in the next 24 hours, totaling 572 mm in 48 hours. This was significantly higher than the initial forecast.
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Vijayan pointed out that no red alert had been issued before the disaster, with the first red alert coming at 6 am on the morning after the incident. Additionally, between July 23 and July 28, the Central Meteorological Department did not issue any orange alerts for heavy rain in Kerala. An orange alert was only issued for Wayanad district at 1 pm on July 29, and a red alert followed at 6 am on July 30, after the landslide had already took place.
On July 29 at 2 pm, the Geological Survey of India issued a green alert for July 30 and 31, suggesting a possibility of minor landslides or rock bursts. However, by then, the heavy rains had already led to a significant landslide. Moreover, from July 23 to 29, the Central Water Commission, responsible for issuing flood warnings, did not issue any alerts for Iruvazhinji Puzha or Chaliyar rivers.
Vijayan stressed that based on Kerala's prior request, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team was made available at the beginning of the rainy season. Kerala had requested nine NDRF teams, and one was already deployed in Wayanad district. Preparations were made in all areas with advance information about potential floods and other natural calamities, including landslides.
Wayanad landslides: Indian Army intensifies rescue efforts, evacuates over 1,000 residents; see PICS
Earlier today, Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed condolences to the families affected by the landslides and defended the government's early warning system amid scrutiny. Addressing the Rajya Sabha, Shah clarified the timeline and effectiveness of the warnings. He said that the Centre had issued an early warning to Kerala on July 23, seven days before the incident. Subsequent warnings were issued on July 24 and 25, with an additional alert on July 26 predicting heavy rainfall exceeding 20 cm and warning of potential landslides and mudflows.
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