Wayanad Landslides: 44 Lives Lost, Rescue Efforts Underway
On Tuesday, members of Congress and the Communist Party of India Marxist (CPI-M) in Parliament demanded that the massive landslides in Wayanad, which claimed 44 lives, be declared a national disaster. CPI-M MP John Brittas sought assistance from the Defence, Home, and Finance Ministries.
Government Response
Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar expressed concern over the loss of lives. Union Minister JP Nadda stated that the central government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is working proactively with the state government to provide relief. Nadda assured that all necessary measures are being taken, including the activation of the Emergency Response System.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju mentioned that the Home Ministry would make a detailed statement after gathering more information. MoS George Kurien was sent to Kerala to assess the situation. Various agencies, including NDRF, SDRF, CAPF, and armed forces, have been deployed for rescue operations.
Rescue Operations
Kerala Minister MB Rajesh confirmed the deaths of 44 people and stated that 250 people have been rescued and moved to temporary shelters. The Chief Minister is closely monitoring the situation, and a team of ministers has been sent to Wayanad. The landslide affected Meppadi, Mundakkal Town, and Chooralmala areas.
Rescue personnel, medical equipment, and health workers have been dispatched to Vythiri, Mananthawadi, Kalpetta, and Meppadi government hospitals. A control room has been established to provide immediate relief and rescue assistance.
Control Rooms
The Department of Information and Public Relations (PRD), Kerala, has opened district and state-level media control rooms to aid the relief efforts. These control rooms will operate 24/7 to provide official updates and announcements. The district control room is based at the Wayanad Civil Station and is supervised by Kannur and Kozhikode Deputy Directors, coordinated by Wayanad District Information Officer P Rasheed Babu. The contact number is 0483-2734387. The state-level control room, located at the Secretariat, can be reached at 0471-2327628 or 2518637.
Doubts Revealed
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, rocks, and debris slide down a slope, often caused by heavy rain or earthquakes.
Congress -: Congress is one of the major political parties in India. It is also known as the Indian National Congress (INC).
CPI-M -: CPI-M stands for the Communist Party of India (Marxist). It is another political party in India.
Parliament -: Parliament is the place where laws are made in India. It has two houses: the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
National disaster -: A national disaster is a very serious event that causes a lot of damage and affects many people. The government takes special actions to help during such events.
Union Minister JP Nadda -: JP Nadda is a leader in the Indian government. He is responsible for certain important tasks and decisions.
Prime Minister Modi -: Prime Minister Modi is the leader of India. His full name is Narendra Modi.
Rescue operations -: Rescue operations are efforts to save people who are in danger, like those trapped by landslides.
Control rooms -: Control rooms are places where people coordinate and manage emergency responses to help those in need.
Central and state agencies -: These are different parts of the government that work together to help during emergencies. Central agencies are from the national government, and state agencies are from the state government.
