Page 4 - Landslide

Kerala not alone, Centre will spare no effort to help rehabilitation: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday visited the landslides-hit Wayanad district and assured that the Central government will "spare no effort" in helping Kerala in the relief and rehabilitation while describing the tragedy as "nature displaying its furious form". Modi, who arrived in the hill district by helicopter from Kannur airport, conducted an aerial survey, walked through the disaster-stricken Chooralmala to get a firsthand view of the destruction caused by the July 30 landslides, visited one of the relief camps and interacted with survivors, including two children who lost their loved ones in the tragedy. He spoke to survivors, heard their concerns and needs, and tried to comfort them. Modi placed his hands on the heads and shoulders of the victims as they broke into tears while recounting their ordeal. Ayyappan, a survivor of the devastating landslides that swept through Mundakkai hamlet in Wayanad and one of the few who got to interact with Modi, said that the "PM ...

PM visits Wayanad's landslide-affected area, briefed about evacuation work

Following his site visits, the Prime Minister will chair a review meeting where he will be briefed in detail about the incident and the ongoing relief efforts

Over 1200 personnel of NDRF, Army deployed for relief operation in Wayanad

More than 100 ambulances, doctors, and other medical staff were deployed for medical support and treatment

Wayanad landslides: Fire Force, NDRF, volunteers continue search operations

Meanwhile, residents bid farewell to the Indian Army contingent including the Dog squad

PM Modi set to visit landslide-affected sites in Kerala's Wayanad on Aug 10

Earlier, a special team consisting of army personnel, SOG officials and forest officials have been conducting a search operation at Sunrise Valley in Soojippara, inside the forest

Kerala landslides: Army partially withdraws from disaster-hit areas

Nine days after the massive landslides hit this north Kerala district killing hundreds, the Army, which led the search and rescue operations and also built the Bailey bridge to connect areas isolated in the disaster, on Thursday decided to partially withdraw from here. The Army's decision to partially withdraw from the operations was announced by state PWD Minister P A Mohamed Riyas who said the force fulfilled its duty and thanked them for their service. Riyas said the 190-foot long Bailey bridge built in a record time by the Army was instrumental in intensifying the search and rescue operations in the Mundakkai and Chooralmala areas which were devastated in the disaster and isolated completely. The Minister told reporters at the District Collectorate here it was painful to see them leave as everyone worked together, "like one body and mind", all these days. He said that the Army came at a time of distress and therefore, there was an emotional difficulty in bidding them ...

Wayanad landslides: Search, rescue operations continue for 10th day

Search operations in the landslides-hit areas of this north Kerala district continued for the 10th day with more cadaver dogs being pressed into service on Thursday to look for remains buried deep under the debris that cover the disaster sites. Using Air Force helicopters to drop special search teams to inaccessible areas along the Chaliyar river and deploying more rescuers, heavy machines and K9 dog squads in the segregated six zones of disaster-hit Chooralmala and Mundakkai continued. Till Wednesday, the number of persons suspected to be missing in the landslides was around 138 with more than 226 confirmed to be dead. Besides that, 192 body parts were also recovered from the disaster-hit areas and the Chaliyar river till August 7, according to figures provided by the Wayanad district administration. As the search operations progress, the state government is also working to ensure temporary rehabilitation of those affected by the landslides. A cabinet sub-committee, camped out at

Wayanad landslides: Death toll crosses 400-mark, over 150 still missing

Wayanad floods: The death toll from the Wayanad landslides crossed 400 on Wednesday, and around 152 people are still missing. Rescue operation is currently underway in the state

Wayanad landslide: Relief efforts get tech boost from Kochi- based company

In a heartening display of social responsibility, a Kochi-based user-interface software development company, has lent its expertise to streamline relief efforts for landslide survivors in Wayanad in Kerala. Rajith Ramachandran, co-founder of Faircode Infotech, and his team have volunteered their services to create a robust inventory management system at the relief material collection centre set up at St Joseph's Higher Secondary School. The innovative solution has greatly eased the task of revenue officials, who were struggling to keep track of the pouring in relief materials. With the new system in place, officials can now ensure timely and efficient distribution of aid to the affected families. "We contacted the deputy Collector, Wayanad, on July 31 and she happily welcomed us. Our ERP software has made life easier for us," Rajith told PTI. Rajith's team trained 10 revenue department officials, and they learnt the nuances of the job quicker. "We have only taken the inventory ..

Wayanad landslides: Search ops in final stage, to focus on remote areas

As per the officials, a scanning mission focusing on the Chaliyar River will be conducted today by a special team on a helicopter

Kerala landslide: ICICI Prudential Life simplifies claim settlement process

ICICI Prudential Life on Monday said it has simplified the claim settlement process for nominees or beneficiaries of individuals affected by the Wayanad landslide tragedy. The processing of claims, including those covered under the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), will be done based on just three basic documents which are required to be submitted by nominees to settle claims, the insurer said in a statement. These are bank account numbers with IFSC codes or cancelled cheque copies of the bank account, death certificate issued by the local municipal authorities. In case the death certificate is not available, the list of deceased issued by hospitals, government authorities or police will be accepted. Basic documents also include copy of valid KYC documents such as PAN card/ Form 60, recent photograph, any one of officially valid documents (Aadhaar card, passport, driving license, voter ID, NREGA Job card or letter issued by the National Population Register). "All ..

Ecologist Madhav Gadgil calls Wayanad tragedy 'man-made', blames state govt

Gadgil-led Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel in 2011 recommended the entire Western Ghats be designated as an 'ecologically sensitive area' and ban the transfer of forest land for non-forest purposes

Wayanad disaster result of illegal human habitat expansion: Bhupender Yadav

The Kerala government allowed "illegal human habitat expansion and mining" in the state's fragile region which resulted in the devastating landslides in Wayanad district, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Monday. Yadav told PTI Video that the consultation with the states on the notification of eco-sensitive zone in the Western Ghats should be finalised soon. The environment ministry has issued six draft notifications, including one issued on July 31, since March 10, 2014, to declare over 56,800 square kilometres of the Western Ghats across six states as eco-sensitive but the final notification is pending amid objections from states. Yadav said an expert panel set up in April 2022 to find a breakthrough is in "constant touch with the states". "Since the ownership of forests is with the states, we had asked them to submit their objections and suggestions to the committee headed by former director general of forest Sanjay Kumar. There should be consultation with local

Torrential rains took more than 150 lives in China in last 2 months

Landslides and flooding have killed more than 150 people across southern China in the past two months as torrential rainstorms batter the region. In the latest disaster, a flood and mudslide early Saturday in a mountainous Tibetan area in Sichuan province left eight people dead with 19 others still unaccounted for, state media said. The early morning disaster destroyed homes and killed at least six people in the village of Ridi, the official Xinhua News Agency said. Two more people died and eight are missing there after a bridge between two tunnels collapsed and four vehicles plummeted. China is in the middle of its peak flood season, which runs from mid-July to mid-August, and Chinese policymakers have repeatedly warned that the government needs to step up disaster preparations as severe weather becomes more common. An annual government report on climate said last month that historical data shows the frequency of both extreme precipitation and heat has risen in China, according to

Wayanad landslide: CM hails recue op by police in Kerala's biggest disaster

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday appreciated the valiant efforts of the police and the fire force in the wake of the recent devastating landslides that rocked Wayanad district and said it was the biggest disaster in the history of the state. Addressing the passing out parade of the Kerala police here, Vijayan said the state was yet to recover from the catastrophic incident in Wayanad. Hailing the police and the fire force, Vijayan said the daring rescue efforts have shown glimpses of humanity, which is the hallmark of the force. "The landslide in Wayanad is the biggest disaster in the history of Kerala. It is also one of the major national-level disasters. The people of Chooralmala and Mundakkai are still reeling from the loss of an entire region in the natural disaster," Vijayan said. He also said that the tragedy faced by those who were displaced from their homes and their lives has brought tears to the eyes of people all over the world. "In the face of this trag

BJP cites UPA rule to reject national disaster status for Wayanad landslide

The BJP on Sunday responded to demands from various quarters, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, to declare the devastating Wayanad landslides a national disaster, saying that such a concept doesn't exist under Central government guidelines, a policy unchanged since the UPA government's tenure. Senior party leader V Muraleedharan posted on his Facebook page a 2013 Parliament document in which then Minister of State for Home, Mullappally Ramachandran, stated that "there is no provision to declare a natural disaster as a national disaster." "The concept of a 'national disaster' does not exist under the Central government's guidelines, a fact that has been the case since the UPA government's tenure. This was explicitly stated by the then Union Home Minister, Mullappally Ramachandran, in a response to a question in the Lok Sabha on August 6, 2013," said Muraleedharan, who is also a former Union Minister. "While there is no official designation of 'national disaster', each disaster

Thieves are looting abandoned homes in Wayanad: Landslide victims claim

Residents of landslide-devastated villages in Kerala's Wayanad district who were forced to flee their homes have reported thefts from their abandoned properties, prompting police to increase night patrols. The displaced residents suspect that thieves might be taking advantage of the state's biggest humanitarian crisis to steal valuables. Some of the affected people have urged the authorities to identify and punish those who enter the area at night with the intention of stealing. "We are the ones who have lost everything in the tragedy," an affected person told reporters. "We had abandoned our homes to ensure our safety during the landslide tragedy. But when we returned to check the state of our home after that, we found the doors broken open." He complained that thieves had even targeted their room in the resort where they are currently staying and stolen their clothes. In a statement on Saturday evening, the authorities said that police patrols had been launched in the disaster-

Compassion, solidarity are strengths that Wayanad needs righ now: Rahul

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday thanked the people and government of Karnataka for their support during difficult times in Wayanad and said their commitment to building 100 houses for the victims of landslides is a significant step towards rehabilitation efforts. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced on Saturday that his government will build 100 houses for victims of the landslide-hit district in Kerala. Taking to X, Siddaramaiah said in light of the tragic landslides in Wayanad, Karnataka stands in solidarity with Kerala. "I have assured CM Shri @pinarayivijayan of our support and announced that Karnataka will construct 100 houses for the victims. Together, we will rebuild and restore hope," he said. Sharing Siddaramaiah's post on X, Gandhi said, "I am deeply grateful to the people and the government of Karnataka for their generous support during these difficult times in Wayanad." "Your commitment to building 100 houses for the victims of

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Kerala announces township in secure location for Wayanad landslide victims

The Kerala government on Saturday announced that a township will be established in a secure area to rehabilitate those displaced by the catastrophic landslide that occurred in the Mundakkai region of Wayanad district. During a press conference here, Vijayan said a comprehensive rehabilitation process is planned and will be implemented swiftly. Vijayan said various offers have come from the global community to provide land and construct houses. A 'Help for Wayanad' cell has been formed under Joint Land Revenue Commissioner A Geetha IAS to coordinate these offers. "The government plans a comprehensive rehabilitation process for the survivors, aiming for swift completion. A new, safer area will be identified for constructing a township. The Education Minister will visit Wayanad to ensure that children's education is not disrupted," Vijayan told the reporters here. Detailing the offers received, the CM said Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan has informed that senior Congress leader Ra