As rescue and relief operations in landslide-hit areas of Kerala’s Wayanad entered its ninth consecutive day, Congress Lok Sabha MP KC Venugopal on Wednesday said that this is not the time for a blame game.
“Our stand is very clear now. This is not the time for a blame game. Whether it is Centre or State, blaming each other is totally avoidable. The entire country is weeping, bodies are still inside the mud. A political party has a responsibility to go along with everybody on rescue operations and conduct the rehabilitation process. This is an unwanted controversy created by the Centre,” Venugopal told ANI.
His remarks came after Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav blamed the Kerala government’s policies for the landslides in Wayanad.
Union Minister Bhupender Yadav on Monday told ANI that “The state government should also submit its report of the Committee headed by former Director General of Forests Sanjay Kumar. Illegal habitation and mining should not be conducted in the ecosensitive zone. We suffered the loss due to it.”
Meanwhile, rescue operations by the Indian Air Force, Army and state authorities are underway in the landslide-affected Wayanad region of Kerala on Wednesday.
“Collaborative rescue operations conducted by the IAF, IA and state authorities are ongoing in the landslide-affected Wayanad region. A specialised team of soldiers, along with the Army, was airlifted by an IAF from Kalpetta to Chaliyar River,” PRO Defence Kochi posted on X.
Wayanad’s Chooralmala and Mundakkai were hit by massive landslides on July 30, claiming over 300 lives and creating widespread property damage.
Earlier today, a special team consisting of six trained Army personnel, four SOGs (Special Operation Groups) of Kerala Police, two Forest Officers and a dog squad left for the Sunrise Valley of Soojippara waterfalls in Wayanad to carry out a search operation.
“In continuation of yesterday’s. operation, today we are also sending a team. We are including a cadaver dog and its handler. It is a 13-member team. We want to go some more downstream. Yesterday, 4 kilometres were covered. Today, we are trying to cover some more areas. We will maximum try to cover downstream,” Taposh Basumatary, Superintendent of Police, SOG, told ANI.
On Tuesday, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the government will ensure world-class rehabilitation in the landslide-hit areas of the Wayanad district, which will serve as an example.
Addressing a press conference, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said, “We will ensure world-class rehabilitation. Our goal is to implement a resettlement model that can serve as an example for the nation and the world.”
The Kerala CM further highlighted that government employees and teachers have come forward to contribute at least 5 per cent of their salary to the CM disaster relief fund.
Highlighting the total funds in the CMDRF, Vijayan stated, “From July 30 until Monday, we have received Rs 53.98 crores in the disaster relief fund.”
