Rahul Gandhi Urges National Disaster Status for Wayanad Landslides
New Delhi, August 7: Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition, spoke in Lok Sabha about the devastating landslides in Wayanad, Kerala. He urged the Central government to declare it a “national disaster” and provide a comprehensive rehabilitation package for those affected. Gandhi visited Wayanad with his sister and witnessed the devastation firsthand. He mentioned that over 200 people have died, and the number could rise to over 400.
Gandhi praised the efforts of various departments involved in the search and rescue operations, including the NDRF, SDRF, Army, Navy, Coast Guard, and Fire Department. He also acknowledged the assistance from neighboring states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana.
Rescue operations by the Indian Air Force, Army, and state authorities are ongoing in Wayanad. A specialized team of soldiers was airlifted by the IAF from Kalpetta to Chaliyar River. The landslides in Wayanad’s Chooralmala and Mundakkai on July 30 caused over 300 deaths and significant property damage.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan assured world-class rehabilitation for the affected areas. He highlighted that government employees and teachers have pledged to contribute at least 5% of their salary to the CM disaster relief fund, which has received Rs 53.98 crores so far.
Doubts Revealed
Rahul Gandhi -: Rahul Gandhi is an Indian politician and a member of the Indian National Congress party. He is also the son of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
National Disaster Status -: National Disaster Status means that the government recognizes a disaster as very serious and provides special help and resources to deal with it.
Wayanad -: Wayanad is a district in the state of Kerala, India. It is known for its beautiful hills and forests.
Landslides -: Landslides happen when a lot of earth or rocks slide down a hill or mountain. They can be very dangerous and cause a lot of damage.
Central government -: The Central government is the main government of India, which makes decisions for the whole country.
Rehabilitation package -: A rehabilitation package is a set of help and resources given to people to rebuild their lives after a disaster.
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan -: Pinarayi Vijayan is the Chief Minister (CM) of Kerala, which means he is the head of the government in the state of Kerala.
CM disaster relief fund -: The CM disaster relief fund is money collected by the Chief Minister’s office to help people affected by disasters.
Rs 53.98 crores -: Rs 53.98 crores is a large amount of money in Indian currency, where 1 crore equals 10 million rupees.
