The Central government has officially classified the Wayanad landslide as a disaster of ‘severe nature,’ five months after the tragedy claimed 254 lives and left 128 missing. Rajesh Gupta, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, communicated this decision to Tinku Biswal, the Principal Secretary of Revenue and Disaster Management in Kerala.
While this declaration is significant for accessing certain funds, there is no mention of a special financial package for Kerala. However, this classification will enable the state to tap into resources like MPs' local area development funds for rehabilitation efforts. The state has been urging the Centre to recognize the severity of the disaster and provide additional assistance, including waiving loans for affected people and issuing further financial aid.
Kerala has estimated the damage caused by the disaster at Rs 1,202 crore and has requested a rehabilitation package of Rs 2,262 crore. In a letter from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, it was clarified that financial assistance for such disasters could be drawn from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), which is already available to the state.
However, state officials expressed concerns that the SDRF and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) may not be sufficient for the extensive rehabilitation required in Wayanad. Earlier, the Ministry of Home Affairs informed MP John Brittas in the Rajya Sabha that the Rs 214.68 crore temporary emergency fund requested by the state could not be provided due to technical issues with SDRF supplementation.
