Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan informed the state Assembly on Tuesday that the central government has not yet provided assistance to the state, which had sought aid for people affected by the devastating landslides in Chooralmala and Mundakkai in Wayanad district on July 30.
Vijayan said that the government had decided to request the union government to expedite the release of special financial aid as soon as possible.
In a statement under Rule 300, the CM mentioned that a request had been submitted to the central government for additional assistance to the State Disaster Response Fund. A direct appeal was also made to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for further support.
He noted that the estimated losses across various sectors amounted to more than Rs 1,200 crore and a memorandum, prepared in accordance with central guidelines, has been submitted for additional assistance based on these estimates.
”Although a detailed memorandum has been submitted, the special financial aid required as part of the disaster relief has not yet been received by the state. Therefore, the cabinet, in a meeting held on October 3, decided to request the central government to expedite the release of the special financial aid as soon as possible,” Vijayan said.
He said the epicentre of the landslide was within the evergreen forest of Punchirimattam in the Meppadi Grama Panchayat.
”The displaced soil, rocks, and debris flowed through the Punnapuzha River for a distance of eight kilometres. The steep slope increased the intensity of the landslide’s flow. It is estimated that the debris moved at a speed of up to 100.8 kilometres per hour. The debris reached heights of up to 32 metres,” the Chief Minister said.
He noted that the width of the Punnapuzha River, originally between 20 to 40 metres, expanded to 200 to 300 metres due to the landslide, and the areas of Punchirimattam, Mundakkai, Chooralmala, and Attamala were devastated.
Vijayan said a total of 231 bodies and 222 body parts were recovered from the disaster area and the Chaliyar River in Malappuram.
All 58 people from 17 families perished in the tragedy. Twenty-one individuals, including six children, were left orphaned, he said.
”Among the deceased, 173 bodies and two body parts were identified by relatives. Fifty-three unidentified bodies and 212 body parts were buried in a public cemetery in Puthumala with multi-faith prayers and official honours. To identify the unknown bodies, 431 DNA samples were collected, of which 64 have been identified so far. Forty-seven individuals are still missing,” Vijayan said.
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