Category: Kerala

The Congress leader emphasised other areas regarding relief efforts that need focus, including poor interdepartmental coordination…reports Asian Lite news

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi discussed the relief efforts for the landslide in Wayanad and the need to revitalise tourism in the area, during a conversation with local Congress leaders on Sunday.

“Wayanad is steadily recovering from the devastation caused by the tragic landslides. While there is still much to be done, it is heartening to witness people from all communities and organisations coming together in relief efforts.” LoP Rahul Gandhi said in a post on X.

During the conversation, he mentioned the need to revitalise tourism in the area to aid the people of Wayanad. “There is one crucial aspect I wish to highlight that will greatly aid the people of Wayanad–tourism. Once the rains cease, it is imperative that we make a concerted effort to revitalise tourism in the area and encourage people to visit.”, the post read.

He further highlighted that the landslide was localised to a specific area and not the entire region, but the perception of people outside is that the whole area is dangerous. Also saying that Wayanad remains a stunning destination, it will soon be ready to welcome tourists across India, “It is important to note that the landslide was localised to a specific area in Wayanad, not the entire region. Wayanad remains a stunning destination and will soon be ready to welcome tourists from across India and the world with all its natural charm.”, the post added.

The Congress leader also emphasised other areas regarding relief efforts that need focus, including poor interdepartmental coordination, inadequate compensation, and the loss of livelihood, among other things.

“As far as I know, there are four or five things which we need to put pressure on. One is poor interdepartmental coordination in relief and rehabilitation, second is inadequate compensation, third is the rent issue that I raised, then many people have lost livelihoods, including vehicles and plantations, and finally the impact of tourism,” he said during the conversation.

The landslides that killed hundreds of people in Kerala’s Wayanad were triggered by a burst of rainfall that was made about 10 per cent heavier by human-caused climate change, a study by World Weather Attribution (WWA) has found. (ANI)

Gadgil, Kasturirangan reports impractical, says Vijayan

The Kerala government has sought a Rs 2,000 crore relief package from the Centre for the unprecedented devastation that occurred in Wayanad recently and is hopeful of getting “good assistance”, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said.

He also dismissed as “not pragmatic” the recommendations made by the Madhav Gadgil and Kasturirangan committees on ecologically sensitive areas of the Western Ghats, saying the panels did not consider the societal expectations and ground realities in his state.

The chief minister said the state government has decided to construct new townships for the families of the victims and the survivors of the unprecedented devastation “within a year” and these dwellings would be “climate-resilient and sustainable”.

Vijayan said the state sought a disaster relief package of about Rs 2,000 crore from the Centre when he recently met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi.

The PM was “very positive” on the issue and the state was hopeful of getting “good assistance” from the Union government, he added.

The chief minister said the funds were expected to be released after a central team submitted a report to the Union government.

Vijayan added that categorising the Wayanad landslides as a “national or severe calamity” would enable all parliamentarians to donate Rs 1 crore each to the Kerala relief fund, otherwise only the local MPs will be able to do so.

“If this disaster is included in that (national or severe calamity) category, we will get good assistance. It will create a good atmosphere for reconstruction,” he told the news agency.

The 79-year-old veteran Marxist politician said the July 30 disaster that wiped off large tracts of three villages — Punchirimattam, Chooralmala and Mundakkai — apart from some areas of Attamala in Wayanad has “shaken the lives of our people, leaving those affected with unimaginable trauma and concerns about their future”.

“The recent landslide in Chooralmala village has caused unprecedented devastation. I would like to assure that our government’s primary objective is to provide a comprehensive rehabilitation package to the survivors.

“We are committed to providing the best possible rehabilitation package to the survivors, in line with the Kerala model of development with its people-centric approach,” he said.

Vijayan recently said during an all-party meeting that the Wayanad survivors would be housed in one or two townships which will have single-storey houses of about 1,000 square feet in size with the option to expand to two storeys in the future.

“Our priority is to ensure that families who lost their homes in the landslides have a safe and secure place to reside. The construction of the townships is expected to be completed within a year,” he said.

On the recommendations made by the Madhav Gadgil and Kasturirangan committees on handling the fragile and ecologically sensitive areas along the Western Ghats, Vijayan said these reports were “not fully accepted by the entities that commissioned them.”

This highlights the fact, he said, that “much of the recommendations in these reports were not pragmatic and did not consider societal aspirations and ground realities”.

“At least some parts of the reports did not consider humans dwelling in ecologically fragile zones for centuries as part of the ecosystem,” the chief minister added.

He also underlined that “small and marginal” farmers cannot be equated with rich realtors, planters or miners occupying similar terrains.

“There was no such differentiation in these reports, which is why many states were forced to completely disregard them,” Vijayan said.

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