Union Home Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah asserted in Parliament on Wednesday that the Indian government’s early warning system had alerted the Kerala government about potential weather anomalies seven days before the devastating landslides in Wayanad district, which claimed the lives of over 150 people. Shah stated, “On July 23, the government of India gave an early warning to the government of Kerala, which was 7 days before the incident.” He further emphasized that the Centre had issued multiple early warnings to the Kerala government prior to the heavy rains that triggered the catastrophic landslides. “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 criticized the Kerala government for failing to respond to the 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. Amit Shah criticized 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 Rs. 2000 crores after 2014 for the early warning system…” Shah slammed the CPI(M) government in Kerala.
Amit Shah also highlighted that several states, including Odisha and Gujarat, have effectively utilized the early warnings provided by the Centre to mitigate the impact of natural disasters such as cyclones. He suggested that if the Kerala government had responded promptly upon receiving the early warning and acted quickly when 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, stated that “133 bodies have been recovered so far.”
