Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday (August 1) informed that he had requested Union Home Minister Amit Shah to declare the Wayanad landslide as a 'calamity of severe nature' under the MPLADS guidelines. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the Thiruvananthapuram MP shared a copy of his letter written to the Union Home Minister, urging him to take immediate action on his request. If approved, the request would allow Members of Parliament to recommend works up to Rs 1 crore from their MPLADS funds for the affected districts and areas of Wayanad, which was struck by two massive landslides.
"On the 30th of July, in the dead of night, a series of devastating landslides struck the Wayanad district of Kerala, claiming over a hundred lives and leaving many more severely injured in hospitals, while countless others remain missing, trapped beneath the debris. This disaster of unimaginable proportions has left behind a harrowing tale of death and destruction. The rescue operations involving the armed forces, the Coast Guard, the National Disaster Response Force, and other agencies continue their pitched battle against the vagaries of nature. The landslides have wreaked havoc upon countless lives, and as such, it is of grave importance to extend all possible support to the people of Wayanad. Such is the scale of the disaster that it necessitates a coordinated and generous response from all sections of society," Tharoor wrote in his letter on Wednesday.
"In light of this catastrophe, I am writing to you to declare this event a 'calamity of severe nature' in terms of Paragraph 8.1 of the MPLADS Guidelines, which would allow Members of Parliament to recommend works up to Rs 1 crore from their MPLADS funds for the affected districts and areas. The willing Members of Parliament would then be able to generously contribute funds for relief and rehabilitation work in the areas afflicted by this tragedy. This will surely be invaluable in supporting the painstaking efforts for rescue, relief, and rehabilitation. I hope you will give this request your kind and sympathetic consideration," he stated.
It is pertinent to note that the two massive landslides, which struck the Mundakkai and Churalmala areas in Wayanad in the early hours of July 30, caused extensive destruction, damaging houses and roads, uprooting trees, and swelling water bodies.
While relief and rescue efforts are currently underway in the region, a total of 167 people have been declared dead in the aftermath of the incident.
Significantly, of the total deceased, the authorities informed, the identities of 96 victims have been ascertained, including 77 men, 67 women, and 22 children.They added, post-mortem examinations have been conducted on 166 bodies, while a total of 75 bodies have been handed over to relatives.
Moreover, the Indian Army is building a 190-ft-long Bailey bridge to connect the severely affected areas of Mundakkai and Chooralmala and speed up rescue operations.
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