The Government of India has informed Kerala that the Chooralmala and Mundakkai landslides of July 30 — the state’s worst landslide disaster — cannot be classified as a “national disaster.”
Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityananda Rai, in a letter to Kerala’s special envoy K.V. Thomas, explained that existing laws do not permit such a designation for the tragedy.
The landslides in Wayanad district caused over ₹1,200 crore in damages, with more than 420 lives lost and over 100 people reported missing. Kerala had urged the Government of India to declare the calamity a “national disaster” within a week of the incident.
Rahul Gandhi, representing Wayanad in Parliament, also appealed for the same during a Lok Sabha session.
Notably, a 2013 Lok Sabha reply by then Minister of State for Home Mullappally Ramachandran under the UPA government clarified that no provision exists to classify natural disasters as “national disasters.”
Ramachandran, a senior Congress leader from Kerala, made this statement amidst similar demands.
The issue has sparked political tensions. The BJP has accused both the UDF and LDF of politicising the tragedy despite knowing the legal limitations. On the other hand, the UDF criticised the LDF-led state government for its alleged lack of effort in securing financial aid from the Government of India.
Meanwhile, the LDF is likely to counter by pointing to Ramachandran’s earlier statement under a Congress-led government while continuing to hold the Government of India accountable for financial support.
