Kerala Assembly pays tributes to Wayanad landslide victims

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Assembly on Friday paid tributes to the victims of the devastating landslides that occurred in Meppadi in Wayanad district, on July 30, which killed over 230 people and left dozens missing.

Making a special reference to the disaster on the opening day of the nine-day-long Assembly session, Speaker A N Shamseer said the House shares in the profound grief of the families and loved ones of those who have lost their lives.

"We pay our respects to all the brothers and sisters who have been taken from us in this natural disaster that has shaken our state," the Speaker said.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan termed the landslides that occurred in the Mundakkai-Chooralmala area of the Meppadi Panchayat in Wayanad district an "unparalleled catastrophe." "This disaster is among the largest landslides reported in the country to date," he said.

Quoting a scientific paper published by national and international scientists, the chief minister stated that it is estimated that debris flowed at a speed of 100 kilometers per hour, totaling 5.72 million cubic meters.

"The debris reached heights of up to 32 meters," he added, noting that the extreme rainfall, which occurred locally due to climate change, caused this landslide.

In the disaster that directly affected the areas of Punchirimmattam, Mundakkai, Chooralmala, and Attamala, 231 lives were lost, and 47 individuals are reported missing, he said.

A total of 145 houses were completely destroyed, while 170 were partially damaged. Two hundred forty houses have become uninhabitable, and 183 houses were swept away.

"In light of scientific studies, it has been found that there are even more houses in areas deemed uninhabitable. The total loss in Meppadi, including shops, livelihoods, vehicles, agriculture, and livestock, amounts to at least Rs 1,200 crore," the CM said.

Currently, 794 families who survived the disaster in Meppadi are living in rental houses, he said.

Vijayan stated that due to the effects of global warming and climate change, Kerala is becoming a land prone to severe natural disasters.

The chief minister said that to combat such disasters, which are likely to recur and to minimise their impact, the state government has established a Climate Change Adaptation Mission.

He emphasised that Kerala requires the support and cooperation of the scientific community, the Central government, and experts at the global level, as well as the public, to effectively address global warming and climate change and to survive the disasters resulting from them.

Leader of the Opposition, V D Satheesan, said that the pain caused by the Wayanad disaster will remain in everyone's minds for the rest of our lives.

Satheesan assured that the Opposition will provide full support to the government for its rehabilitation efforts.

He urged that the relief efforts be expedited.

The Congress leader also mentioned the lack of significant assistance from the Central government so far, despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the affected areas.

The leaders also recalled that a landslide occurred in Vilangad, part of the Vaniyambalam Panchayat in Kozhikode district, on July 30.

According to the Kozhikode District Disaster Management Authority, a valuable life was lost there, along with homes, shops, livelihoods, vehicles, agriculture, and livestock. The total loss in Vilangad amounts to at least Rs 217 crore.