The Central Government has refuted Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's claim that no Orange Alert was issued before the massive landslide in Wayanad. The government confirmed that an Orange Alert for heavy rainfall was indeed issued on the afternoon of July 29, effective until July 30. Alongside this, the alert indicated the possibility of landslides and local flooding.
The central government stated that the landslide occurred around 2:17 AM on July 30. They also asserted that the Kerala government had 'ample time' to act on the warning.
After Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan dismissed Home Minister Amit Shah's claim, the central government presented factual evidence indicating that the state government ignored the warnings issued for heavy rains in Wayanad.
In a statement, the government disclosed that five days before the tragic event, the IMD had issued alerts for heavy rains on July 25, 26, 27, 28, and 29. This forecast predicted very heavy rainfall in Kerala from 8:30 AM on July 29 to 8:30 AM on July 30.
The statement emphasized that, according to the national policy on disaster management, the primary responsibility for disaster preparedness and measures rests with the respective state governments. The central government further noted that the Geological Survey of India (GSI) had issued a landslide warning to state officials for Wayanad at 2 PM on July 29, while the disaster occurred in the early hours of July 30.
The central documents also clarified that, as per Kerala Chief Minister’s own admission, the GSI had warned of a landslide in Wayanad at 2 PM on July 29. According to information provided by Kerala's SDMA, the landslide occurred at 2:17 AM on July 30.
It's important to note that over 300 people lost their lives in the devastating landslide in Wayanad on July 30. According to district administration, at least 218 people are still missing. Nearly 9910 people displaced by the landslide have been relocated to 94 relief camps in Wayanad.
