BJP MP Tejasvi Surya has attributed the recent catastrophic landslide in Wayanad to human activities, labeling it a "man-made disaster." Drawing on the insights of environmental experts like Madhav Gadgil, Surya emphasised that the tragedy was preventable and stemmed from years of neglect and harmful practices in the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats region.
"What has happened in Wayanad is not a natural disaster. It is a man-made disaster, I have been repeating this," Surya stated. He highlighted that multiple panel reports and scientific organizations, including IIT Delhi, had repeatedly warned the state government about the dangers of rampant illegal commercialization, mining, and quarrying in the Western Ghats since 2000. Despite these warnings, Surya accused the Congress and both UDF and LDF governments in Kerala of failing to take any preventive actions.
Surya further criticised the current Communist government for allegedly attempting to suppress scientific and media investigations into the causes of the landslide. "Instead of trying to understand what actually went wrong, the Communist government wants to ban all scientific organizations, media organizations from understanding the disaster in Wayanad. This is a man-made, Communist-Congress made disaster that has taken place in Wayanad," he asserted.
Wayanad Landslides: Ongoing Rescue Operations
Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced that search and rescue operations in the disaster-hit region of Wayanad are nearing completion, although 206 people remain missing. In a press briefing, Vijayan acknowledged the difficulties in identifying the recovered bodies, many of which have been found in the Chaliyar River.
"Till now, 215 bodies have been recovered, of which 87 are women, 98 are men, and 30 are children. As many as 148 bodies have been handed over so far. There are 206 people missing. Eighty-one people are injured and are under treatment in various hospitals," Vijayan reported.
The Chief Minister noted that 67 bodies are yet to be identified, and local panchayats will be responsible for conducting the last rites. He also detailed the extensive search efforts, involving 1,419 personnel from the Fire Force, NDRF, Forest Department, Police, Indian Army, and volunteers from Tamil Nadu.