CM Vijayan refutes Home Minister Amit Shah's claims of prior alert, says 'no time for blame game'

Thiruvananthapuram, July 31 (IANS) Hours after Union Home Minister Amit Shah told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that the Centre had alerted the Kerala government on July 23, warning of possible danger in and around Wayanad, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan refuted the claim but sought to play down the issue, saying it was no time for a blame game.

Meanwhile, the death toll in the disaster has reached 205 and around 200 continue to be missing, even as search efforts continue amid the heavy rains in the affected areas on Wednesday evening.

Speaking to the media here, Vijayan stressed that the need of the hour is not to engage in a blame game, while terming parts of what the Union Home Minister said as true and parts as untrue.

"I do not wish to engage in a blame game now as the people in Wayanad are going through untold misery on account of the massive landslide, but the fact of the matter is that there were predictions that came out and they never mentioned a red alert in the affected area. In fact, the red alert came on Tuesday at 6 a.m., when the tragedy occurred several hours before," he said.

"The IMD had predicted rains to the tune of 115 mm to 204 mm rains at the affected areas, but actually in the first 24 hours, there was 200 mm and in the next 24 hours, 372 mm rains came down making it a staggering 572 mm in 48 hours, much more than predicted. So with these being the facts, I wish to state, that this is not the time for wrangling," Vijayan added.

The Chief Minister also said that there was no prediction of landslides from the Geological Survey of India and when these came, the tragedy had already taken place.

"Then there was an alert from the Central Water Commission and it said that from July 23 to 29, not for one single day ... of the two rivers which got swollen, there was no mention at all. What was said in the Parliament is not true," he said, adding that there was a mention that the NDRF was sent early, "but the fact is we asked for it".

"The need of the hour is climate change disasters have to be dealt with seriously and let us not engage in a blame game... people are in tragedy, let us soothe them," he said.

Vijayan said about 1,200 rescue officials from various agencies are presently at work in the four worst-affected landslide areas of Wayanad district -- Churalpara, Velarimala, Mundakayil, and Pothukalu.

"These areas, for all practical purposes, have been completely destroyed. The rescue teams have so far rescued 1,592 people and now there are 8,017 people in 82 relief camps. 201 people were treated in hospitals and now there are 90 under treatment. The rescue efforts are continuing and tribal families are being moved... for those not willing to move, food will be given. Medical facilities are being extended in a big way, with medical professionals from the private and cooperative sectors having joined the state government health officials," he said.

Vijayan said in most of the affected areas, the electric power lines have been restored and the state electricity board has suffered a loss of Rs 3 crore.

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