New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah, addressing the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, stated that the Kerala government had been warned on July 23 about potential natural calamities in Wayanad due to heavy rains. Despite the early warning and the immediate dispatch of nine National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams to the state, Shah accused the Kerala government of not heeding the alert.
Shah assured the House that the Narendra Modi government stands "like a rock" with the Kerala government and its people during this tragedy, promising full support from the Central government.
Intervening in the short-duration calling attention motion regarding the Wayanad landslide tragedy, Shah criticized the opposition for questioning the Central government's early warning systems and response to the disaster. He emphasized that the early warnings were issued to Kerala seven days before the July 30 landslide, with another warning sent on July 24.
"Nine NDRF battalions were despatched on July 23 itself, and three more were sent on July 30," Shah informed. He pointed out that other states, including Odisha and Gujarat, had effectively used the Centre's early warnings to mitigate the impact of natural calamities such as cyclones. He argued that timely action by the Kerala government upon the arrival of NDRF teams could have minimized the losses.
Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, added that 133 bodies had been recovered so far, with the death toll expected to rise.
(Inputs from PTI)