Wayanad landslides: Amit Shah alleges Kerala govt ignored early warning about heavy rains, says ‘7 days before…’

Wayanad landslides: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday claimed in Parliament that the central government's early warning system had alerted the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan-led Kerala government about potential weather anomalies and natural disasters ‘seven days before’ the devastating landslides that killed over 150 people in Wayanad district.

Amit Shah said, “On July 23, the government of India gave an early warning to the government of Kerala, which was 7 days before the incident”.

Amit Shah further asserted that the Centre had issued multiple early warnings to the Kerala government before the heavy rains triggered a series of catastrophic landslides in the state.

“Then on July 24 and 25 too early warning was given. On July 26, a warning was given that there was a chance of heavy rainfall of more than 20 cm, and there were chances of landslides, there could be mudflow and people could lose lives in this,” Shah added.

In the Rajya Sabha, Amit Shah criticised the Kerala government for not responding to early warnings or the arrival of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams. He revealed that nine NDRF battalions were dispatched on July 23, with an additional three sent on July 30, yet the state failed to take adequate action.

The senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader criticised the Opposition for questioning the central government's early warning systems, and its response to the tragedy.

"Questions are being raised about the early warning system of the government... The government has spent ₹2,000 crores after 2014 for the early warning system..," Shah, who slammed the CPI(M) government in Kerala, stated.

Amit Shah also noted that several states, including Odisha and Gujarat, have effectively utilised the early warnings provided by the Centre to mitigate the impact of natural disasters such as cyclones.

Home Minister Amit Shah suggested that if the Kerala government had responded promptly upon receiving the early warning and acted quickly when the NDRF teams arrived, the extent of the losses could have been significantly reduced.

The series of catastrophic landslides in Kerala's Wayanad district has resulted in at least 158 fatalities and over 200 injuries, with the death toll likely to rise as rescue operations continue.

However, on Wednesday, MoS Home Nityanand Rai while addressing the Rajya Sabha, said “133 bodies have been recovered so far”.