Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan refutes Amit Shah's claim over red alert timing
The Chief Minister criticized the absence of landslide warnings from the Geological Survey of India. "The tragedy had already occurred by the time any alert came," he noted. Furthermore, he highlighted that the Central Water Commission had failed to predict the swelling of two major rivers in the region.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has contested Union Home Minister Amit Shah's assertion regarding the issuance of a red alert prior to the heavy rains and landslide in Wayanad. Vijayan clarified that the red alert was issued only after the tragedy had already struck.
Red alert issued after tragedy?
Vijayan highlighted that the official red alert for the affected area was announced at 6 am on Tuesday, hours after the catastrophic landslide. "The tragedy had already occurred several hours before the red alert was issued," he remarked. This contradiction points to a significant delay in the warning system.
Focus on rescue efforts
Emphasizing the ongoing rescue operations, Vijayan stressed, "This is not the time for a blame game." The search efforts in Wayanad continue amidst relentless rain, with around 200 people still missing and 205 confirmed dead.
Inaccurate rain predictions
Vijayan also pointed out the inaccuracies in the rainfall predictions. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) had forecasted 115 mm to 204 mm of rain, but the actual figures were far higher. "In the first 24 hours, there was 200 mm of rain, and in the next 24 hours, 372 mm, totaling 572 mm in 48 hours—much more than predicted," he explained.
Lack of landslide warning
The Chief Minister criticized the absence of landslide warnings from the Geological Survey of India. "The tragedy had already occurred by the time any alert came," he noted. Furthermore, he highlighted that the Central Water Commission had failed to predict the swelling of two major rivers in the region. Vijayan refuted Shah's claim that the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was deployed early. "We requested the NDRF," he clarified. Earlier in the day, Shah had told Parliament that Kerala had been warned about potential landslides on July 23, a week before the disaster.
Amit Shah praises India's capability of advance predictions of natural disaster
Shah had emphasized India's capability to provide advance warnings for natural disasters, stating that the Centre had dispatched nine NDRF teams. He also criticized the Kerala government for not evacuating people in time.
