Union Home Minister Amit Shah has accused the Kerala government of ignoring the Centre’s warnings about heavy rains and the possibility of landslides in Wayanad before the incident.

Addressing the Rajya Sabha, the Minister said, “I want to clarify that on July 23, the Government of India gave an early warning to the Kerala government, which was seven days before the incident, and then on July 24 and 25 too early warning was given. On July 26, a warning was given that there were chances of heavy rainfall of more than 20 cm, and landslides, there could be mudflow and people could lose lives in this. Questions are being raised about the early warning system of the government. The government has spent ₹2,000 crore after 2014 for the early warning system”, Shah said.

The government sent 9 NDRF teams to Kerala on July 23, considering that there could be landslides. The early warning project started in 2016, and by 2023, India had the most modern early warning system. The Minister said only four countries can predict seven days in advance, and India is one of them.

Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told newspersons in Thiruvananthapuram that the amount of rainfall that fell on Monday and Tuesday was several times more than the Centre had warned of. On Monday, an orange alert for a rainfall maximum of 20 cm had been declared in the affected region. The realised rainfall on that day alone was 20 cm, while Tuesday saw an incremental 37 cm. A red alert was declared only after the landslides had occurred. “This is not the time to engage in verbal exchange over early warnings or the lack of it, but I am just stating facts as they are,” he said.

The Chief Minister said 144 bodies have been recovered, while at least 191 are reported to be missing. Rescue and relief agencies comprising 1,167 personnel from various agencies have saved at least 1,592 lives. The State Government has opened 82 relief centres in Wayanad, where 8,017 people have been sheltered. Meanwhile, unofficial reports indicate that the death toll that wrecked Chooralmala and Mundakkal areas has crossed 200, and another 225 were at hospitals undergoing treatment. More than 200 persons are still to be traced, which indicates that the death toll is likely to go up.

Reports from the affected areas said heavy intermittent rains had returned, and the currents in the adjoining river, which had split into two, had gathered pace. The waters had turned turbid and soil-coloured, leading locals to suspect fresh rains may have started erupting at the place of origin of the landslide. A fog cover, too, had descended by the evening, affecting the pace of rescue and relief work.

C. Sreedharan, president of UPASI, said the plantation sector, in these challenging moments, stands in unison with the Harrisons Malayalam Group. “We recognise the hardships the employees and their families face and commit to providing necessary assistance in their recovery and rehabilitation. Officials at HML confirmed the death of six workers and reported the missing of 67 people, which included 28 workers and their 39 dependants.

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