Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has challenged Union Home Minister Amit Shah's claims about early warnings regarding the recent landslides in Wayanad. Vijayan asserted that Shah’s statements were inaccurate, noting that the ‘red alert’ from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) was issued only after the landslides had already occurred.
During a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday, CM Vijayan clarified that the IMD had only issued an orange alert, which signifies very heavy rain ranging from 6 cm to 20 cm, prior to the landslides. The catastrophic events unfolded after Wayanad received over 500 millimeters of rain, far surpassing the IMD’s predictions.
Vijayan emphasized that a red alert, which denotes extreme rainfall exceeding 20 cm within 24 hours, was only issued after the landslides struck on Tuesday morning. "A red alert was issued for the district only after the landslides hit there on Tuesday morning," he said.
The Chief Minister argued that the immediate focus should be on managing the crisis rather than engaging in a "blame game." He did not perceive Amit Shah’s remarks as hostile but stressed that current efforts should be directed towards recovery and relief.
Earlier, Amit Shah had claimed in the Rajya Sabha that Kerala’s government ignored early warnings and delayed responding to the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams. Shah asserted that the Kerala government was informed about potential risks seven days before the landslides, with additional warnings on July 24 and 25. He suggested that prompt action could have mitigated the disaster’s severity.
Shah stated, "On July 23, the government of India issued an early warning to Kerala, which was seven days before the incident.” He also mentioned that subsequent warnings on July 26 indicated the possibility of heavy rainfall, mudflows, and potential loss of life.
The devastating landslides in Wayanad have resulted in at least 158 fatalities and over 200 injuries, with the death toll expected to rise as rescue operations continue.
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