Wayanad (Keralam) [India], July 30 : Congress MP from Wayanad Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday paid tribute to the victims of the devastating 2024 Wayanad landslides, marking the second anniversary of the tragedy, and reaffirming her commitment to stand by the survivors as they continue rebuilding their lives.
In a post on X, Priyanka Gandhi remembered those who lost their lives in the tragedy and lauded the resilience of the affected communities in Chooralmala and Mundakkai.
"Two years since the tragedy that devastated the people of Chooralmala and Mundakkai, we pay homage to the bravery and resilience of the people of Wayanad. In remembrance and homage to those who left us, we will continue to support those who survived in every way we can. We renew our pledge to stand by them in the courageous fight to rebuild their lives and provide them with comfort as they carry deep wounds of loss in their hearts," she said.
https://x.com/priyankagandhi/status/2082681095867224108
On July 30, 2024, one of Keralam's deadliest natural disasters struck Wayanad district when a series of landslides triggered by incessant rainfall ravaged the villages of Chooralmala, Mundakkai, Attamala, Punchirimattom and Vellarimala in Meppadi panchayat.
More than 300 people lost their lives, while hundreds of homes, roads and public infrastructure were destroyed.
The Centre had mounted a massive rescue and relief operation, deploying more than 1,200 personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Army, Air Force, Navy, Fire and Rescue Services and Civil Defence, among other agencies, to search for survivors and assist those affected.
The anniversary comes weeks after another landslide struck Wayanad. On July 7 this year, a landslide hit a tunnel construction site at Kalladi in Meppadi Grama Panchayat, burying a large section of the worksite under several feet of debris and claiming eight lives.
Earlier on July 25, Priyanka Gandhi had visited the Meenakshi Bridge site at Kalladi to assess the situation and urged authorities to immediately implement temporary measures to prevent accumulated debris and mud from causing further damage while awaiting the findings of an official inquiry.
"I came to see the site, and I was discussing that while this inquiry is going on... whatever temporary measures need to be taken so that the debris that we can see and the mud that we can see don't cause a problem. We should take those temporary measures immediately. And then the permanent measures can be taken as soon as the inquiry is over," she had said.
She had also criticised the Centre, alleging political bias in the allocation of assistance to states affected by natural disasters.
"The Centre always has political bias. We know it. It's so even in states like Himachal Pradesh, other states, and here as well. So we can't really depend much on them. We have to try to do whatever we can, and we are trying to do whatever we can from the state itself," she had said.
Following the Kalladi landslide, the Kerala government announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh from the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) for the families of those killed and sanctioned financial assistance of up to Rs 2 lakh for the injured. It also constituted an expert committee to investigate the cause of the accident, including compliance with contractual, environmental and forest clearance norms, with tunnel construction to resume only after the committee submits its report.