Centre Declares Wayanad Landslides 'Severe Nature' Disaster, Announces Aid Process

The inordinate delay by the Centre in declaring the landslides in Wayanad as a disaster of extreme severity, 154 days after the natural disaster wiped out two villages in the district, might have robbed the State of a chance at seeking relief funds from external agencies, Kerala Revenue Minister K. Rajan said here on Tuesday (December 31, 2024).

“It is 154 days after the landslides and after repeated requests from the State government that the Centre has deigned to declare the disaster as one of extreme severity. This is just one of the three requests the State had made to the Centre immediately after the disaster and has now been accepted in principle. Did it really require as many days to make this assessment? If this announcement had come within two months, Kerala could have appealed for help from external agencies,” the Minister pointed out.

“The Centre is yet to approve the request for the preliminary aid of ₹1,202 crore or the money the State had sought as the first lot. Kerala had sent the report on November 13. The government fails to comprehend why the acknowledgement that the Wayanad landslide was a disaster of extreme severity had to be so delayed,” Mr. Rajan said.