Wayanad landslide: Amit Shah speaks to Keralam CM Satheesan, assures full Centre support
Thiruvananthapuram, July 8
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday spoke to Keralam Chief Minister VD Satheesan over the Wayanad landslide tragedy and assured the state of full support from the Centre, while also calling for a high-level probe into the incident that claimed three lives and left five people missing.
Shah held a telephonic conversation with Satheesan to review the situation arising from the landslide at the Kalladi tunnel construction site in Wayanad district.
During the conversation, the Union Home Minister took stock of the rescue and relief operations and assured the Chief Minister of all possible assistance from the Central government.
The CMO said Shah also appreciated the measures taken by the Kerala government in response to the disaster.
The Union Home Minister further urged the Chief Minister to initiate a high-level investigation into the incident. In response, Satheesan informed him that the state Cabinet, which met earlier in the day, had already approved a comprehensive inquiry into the tragedy.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Keralam Cabinet announced two separate investigations into the landslide. One probe will examine the circumstances that led to the accident, while the second will determine whether the environmental clearance conditions stipulated for the tunnel construction project were complied with.
Addressing a press conference after the Cabinet meeting, Satheesan said, "Today's Cabinet meeting evaluated the tragedy in Wayanad and reviewed all reports received so far. It has been decided to initiate technical and legal proceedings to investigate the circumstances that led to this accident."
He added that preliminary reports suggested another landslide had occurred above the affected site and that further decisions would be taken after examining those findings.
The Chief Minister also said the Centre had granted environmental clearance for the tunnel project subject to strict conditions, and compliance with those guidelines would now be investigated.
"The central government had granted environmental clearance for this tunnel construction project with strict instructions. Whether the contractors followed them will be examined. Work will resume only after assessing all accident risks; until then, construction remains suspended. Two separate investigations will be conducted: one into the cause of the accident and another into whether environmental clearance guidelines were followed," he said.
The landslide struck the tunnel construction site at Kalladi in Meppadi Grama Panchayat on Tuesday, burying large sections of the worksite under mud and debris.
Rescue operations entered the second day on Wednesday, with teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Fire and Rescue Services, Civil Defence and police continuing the search for the five missing workers.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Wayanad, forecasting heavy rainfall at isolated places, while Kerala Police have registered a case under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Rescue and investigation efforts are continuing.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Hope the missing workers are found safe soon 🙏. It's a nightmare for their families. Also, why is there always a delay in rescue operations? NDRF and SDRF are doing their best but prevention is better than cure. The environmental clearance conditions need to be stricter before any tunnel work in the Western Ghats.
Another disaster in Kerala's hills. This is the third major landslide in Wayanad in recent years. The state government must also take some blame for allowing construction in such fragile zones. Centre's support is welcome but we need a proper land-use policy for the Western Ghats to prevent such tragedies.
Appreciate CM Satheesan's quick response and the Cabinet decision for a dual probe. But I'm skeptical about the 'comprehensive inquiry' - these often drag on for years with no real action. Meanwhile, contractors who cut corners walk free. The state should also look at disaster preparedness in other tunnel projects across Kerala.
This is a tragedy but let's not make it political. Both Centre and State seem to be cooperating well here. The focus should be on rescue and then on ensuring such incidents don't happen again. Environment vs development is a tough balance but human lives must come first always.
I work in construction and I can tell you safety norms are often ignored in the name of deadlines. The yellow alert from IMD should have been taken more seriously. At least now both Centre and State are doing the right thing. My condolences to the families of the deceased and hoping for the missing to be found alive.