Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan refuted Union Home Minister Amit Shah's assertion that the state was warned as early as July 23 about a potential natural calamity in Wayanad due to heavy rains.
Vijayan clarified that the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had only issued an orange alert for the district prior to the landslides. However, Wayanad experienced over 500 millimeters of rainfall, far exceeding the IMD's predictions.
"I don’t think this is a time for blame games. The focus should be on addressing the current crisis, not on assigning fault,” Vijayan said.
According to Vijayan, while the central government had issued an orange alert predicting rainfall between 115 and 204 mm, the reality was far more severe. "In the first 24 hours, we recorded 200 mm of rain, and in the following 24 hours, it exceeded 300 mm. Over 48 hours, the total rainfall amounted to 572 mm—much higher than the forecasted amounts,” he explained.
The red alert, he noted, was only issued after the landslide had occurred.
Vijayan further addressed the issue of advance warnings, highlighting that the Geological Survey of India (GSI) issued a landslide warning on July 29. “It was not until the morning of July 30 that central authorities issued alerts for heavy rain and a red alert. By then, the landslide at Chooralmala had already happened,” he said. He also pointed out that although the GSI had issued a green alert for July 30 and 31, the landslide had already taken place by then. Additionally, the National Water Commission did not issue any warnings regarding the Irupazhinji River.
Contesting the claims made in Parliament, Vijayan asserted, “The statements made were not entirely factual. The Kerala government had requested the deployment of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, which were promptly sent to assist. We had also conducted evacuations from disaster-prone areas, but the landslide at Chooralmala was unforeseen.”
The tragedy saw at least 156 bodies recovered, over 200 injured, and around 190 people still missing. Over 5,500 people were rescued from the landslide-hit areas, according to Vijayan.
Amit Shah had told the House that the Centre issued an early warning over potential landslides on July 23, claiming the deaths could have been minimized had the Kerala government acted swiftly following the NDRF teams' arrival. Shah emphasized that India is among the few countries capable of providing natural disaster warnings at least seven days in advance. He also stated, “Nine NDRF teams were sent to Kerala in advance. The Kerala government did not evacuate people in time.”
Shah further claimed, “The deaths due to the landslides could have been minimized had the Kerala government become alert following the arrival of NDRF teams.” Despite these accusations, Vijayan emphasized the unprecedented nature of the rainfall and landslides, underscoring the state’s efforts in rescue and evacuation operations.
Union Minister George Kurian, who visited Wayanad, affirmed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was closely monitoring the situation. "The situation is being monitored by the central government at the highest level. The Honourable Prime Minister is monitoring the situation and has deputed me to visit the affected areas. Both control rooms of the Ministry of Home Affairs are monitoring the situation 24x7 and providing all possible assistance to the state," he said.
The Army and the Air Force are actively engaged in rescue efforts, with two columns of army personnel and two IAF helicopters deployed. Additionally, NDRF, SDRF, and a dog squad are assisting in the operations, highlighting the extensive efforts being made to address the crisis in Wayanad.