Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday visited the landslide-hit areas in Kerala’s Wayanad district to assess the impact of the devastating calamity that has claimed around 300 lives and leaving many others missing. He promised all assistance for relief and rehabilitation work in the disaster-hit area, asserting that funds will not be a problem in this respect.
Mr Modi, accompanied by Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Union Minister Suresh Gopi, and officials, visited the disaster-affected areas in Chooralmala after undertaking an aerial survey of the disaster-stricken areas.
In his remarks after he held a review meeting at the Collectorate conference hall in Kalpetta, the PM said the country and the Central government will not leave any stone unturned in helping Kerala face the catastrophe.
“This is not an ordinary tragedy. Dreams of hundreds of families are finished. Nature had shown its dreadful face. I have visited the affected places and met families and people in the relief camps and heard full account of what they had seen and gone through,” Mr Modi said.
“The Chief Minister has told us he will send a detailed memorandum. I assure the people and affected persons that in this time of crisis, whether it is the State or Central government, they are with them in this difficult time,” he said.
Some part of the calamity fund has already been released to the State and more funds have been released, Mr Modi said.
As soon as the memorandum is received from the State government, he said: “We will decide with a liberal view. The Central government will stand by the State government. I do not think money will be a constraint in dealing with the situation.”
“The day the State memorandum is received by the Centre, as soon as the details are provided, for either housing, schools, roads, for the future of the children, as soon as we receive the details, we will cooperate fully. My heart was heavy; I did not want to disturb the rescue work here,” he said.
“Now that I have seen the situation in detail; and this first-hand information does help in decision-making, I assure you the Centre will try to meet all expectations of the Chief Minister,” the Prime Minister said.
Mr Modi, who reached Chooralmala at around 1 p.m. on Saturday visited the Vellaarmala higher secondary school which was heavily impacted by the landslides that hit Wayanad. Mr Modi was deeply moved upon seeing the damage at the school and sought information regarding the students studying in the school and the prospects of their future education from Kerala chief secretary V Venu. He also asked Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Union Minister Suresh Gopi, who were accompanying him: “How many children lost their loved ones?”
He walked about half a kilometre down the school road and saw the depth of the calamity – he saw the flattened houses, collapsed buildings, mangled vehicles, huge uprooted trees and massive boulders strewn around the area.
Earlier, Mr Modi undertook an aerial survey of the disaster-stricken areas in Wayanad district.
During the aerial survey, Mr Modi observed the extensive devastation in Chooralmala, Mundakkai, and Punchirimatta ~ villages that were among the worst-hit by the landslides
Mr Modi also visited a relief camp functioning at St. Joseph’s School, Meppadi. He spent 25 minutes there engaging with several individuals impacted by the disaster.
The Prime Minister also visited the WIMS hospital, where the injured are undergoing treatment and heard from some of them the dreadful experience they had.
In his remarks after the review meeting held at the Kalpetta Collectorate, Mr Modi said that as far as families who suffered loss of their relatives, it would require a long-term plan by the State government to resettle them, particularly children who have lost everything, and in this also the Centre would render whatever contribution would be required.
The Prime Minister said he had also met the injured in hospital undergoing treatment for their injuries. “In such a moment of crisis, when we work together, it can produce good results. I had assured the Chief Minister that morning itself and told him we are making all arrangements and mobilizing all systems. I had sent a Minister of State to the State,” he said.
The NDRF, SDRF, Army, police jawans, medical personnel or voluntary organisations, all had reached the spot without any hesitation, and tried to help the calamity-stricken people. Those who have lost their relatives, it is not humanly possible to compensate, the Prime Minister said.
“But we have to see their future lives, their dreams should not die, this is our collective responsibility, and the Indian government and the nation, is with the affected people in this time of catastrophe,” Mr Modi said.
“Yesterday, I had sent members of the internal Ministers coordination team and they had met the CM and officials. They have seen the situation,” the Prime Minister said.
Mr Modi said he had seen a similar calamity from close quarters in 1979, in Morbi in Gujarat, where an earthen dam had collapsed in heavy rains and there was water up to 10 to 12 feet in Morbi town. More than 2,500 people lost lives.
“I was there for six months as a volunteer. I saw what challenges so much mud causes; it was there in every home. I can imagine the enormity of the havoc played by nature. How God helped many people save themselves,” he said.