Wayanad landslides: IMD issues orange alert till Saturday, predicts some clear spells as death toll crosses 200

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) sounded an orange alert for 4 districts including Wayanad, which has been hit by multiple landslides that have claimed over 200 lives, until Saturday. IMD Kerala director Neetha K Gopal predicted rain but some clear spells in between, giving relief to the rescue operators.

"In the south till up to Pathanamthitta, we have issued a yellow alert also. From tomorrow, there will be a considerable reduction in rainfall activity. So, the yellow alerts are being confirmed only to the northern districts of Kerala. And then from Sunday there will be a reduction and we will be experiencing only light to moderate rain thereafter for another 4 days," she said. 

Gopal further added that while some clear spells can give a bit of relief to the rescue operators, wind speed would be very over the hilly regions, which can cause a bit of difficulty in rescue operations. Meanwhile, the Kerala government has requested the scientific community in the state to refrain from sharing their opinions and study reports on the landslides in the media. 

Tiku Biswal, state relief commissioner and principal secretary for disaster management, directed science and technology institutions in Kerala to not undertake field visits to the Meppadi panchayat in Wayanad. 

Scientists linked the disaster to forest cover loss, mining, and climate change. 

Biswal directed KP Sudheer, principal secretary in the science and technology department, to halt all science and technology field visits to Meppadi panchayat in Wayanad, classified as a disaster-affected area.

As per this order, the scientific community is advised not to share their opinions and reports with the media. Any study in the area requires prior permission from the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority, the order further said.

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visited Wayanad on Thursday. Commenting on the landslides, Rahul Gandhi called it "a terrible tragedy for Wayanad, for Kerala and the nation."

He said: "Today, I feel how I felt when my father died. Here people have not just lost a father but an entire family. We all owe these people respect and affection. The whole nation's attention is towards Wayanad."

Calling the suffering of survivors "unimaginable", Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that the Congress will do everything possible to help them rebuild their lives and provide them with comfort and support.