Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit the landslide-hit areas of Wayanad, Kerala, on August 10, according to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. During a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday, the Chief Minister announced that the state government has urged the central government to declare the landslides a national disaster and severe calamity.
The landslides, which struck Chooralmala and Mundakkai in Wayanad on July 30, caused significant devastation. In response, the central government has appointed a nine-member committee to assess the situation and submit a report. The committee’s chairman visited the affected areas on Thursday, and the state is hopeful of receiving central assistance for rehabilitation efforts.
“We expect the Prime Minister to understand the situation firsthand and adopt a favorable stance,” Chief Minister Vijayan said.
As of now, the post-mortem of 420 bodies has been conducted in Wayanad. The Chief Minister confirmed that 225 deaths have been officially recorded, while body parts of an additional 195 individuals have been found at various locations. DNA samples from these remains have been sent for testing. Out of the 420 bodies, 178 have been handed over to relatives, and 233 burials have taken place.
The Chief Minister also addressed the issue of donated clothing at the collection center in Wayanad. “Seven tons of clothing have been received, but much of it is unusable as it consists of used clothes. This has created a processing challenge,” he said, urging people not to send more materials to the camps.
Chief Minister Vijayan expressed gratitude for the generous donations to the CM’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF), particularly from the South Indian film industry. “It is heartening to see the entire state of Kerala coming together to support Wayanad,” he added.
Meanwhile, a special team comprising army personnel, SOG officials, and forest officials has been conducting search operations at Sunrise Valley in Soojippara, inside the forest. The Indian Army, having completed a ten-day rescue operation, will soon hand over the search efforts to the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Fire Force, and Kerala Police.