Rajya Sabha Discusses Wayanad Tragedy, MPs Urge ‘National Disaster’ Declaration

Several Opposition Rajya Sabha MPs raised the Wayanad tragedy in the House on Tuesday, demanding it be declared a national disaster. The calls for action came from Kerala MPs after a massive landslide in Churalpara, Wayanad, killed at least 44 people and isolated over 400 families around 2 A.M. on Tuesday.

John Brittas, a Kerala CPI(M) MP, urged the immediate deployment of central disaster management forces to carry out rescue and relief operations in Kerala. The MPs highlighted that more than 500 families were trapped due to the landslides, with bodies of some victims being found far from their homes, and entire families being wiped out in some cases.

The MPs also requested financial aid of Rs 5,000 crore and appealed to the Rajya Sabha Chairman to declare the incident a national disaster. During the Rajya Sabha discussion, members expressed condolences and urged full government support for the affected area.

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar acknowledged the gravity of the situation, stating, “The whole House in one voice is with them. The entire country has converged all agencies to help out the people in distress. The PM and CM, everyone is alert and engaged in the activity.”

Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, admitted to not having complete information about the incident, having learned about it through newspaper reports and phone calls with authorities. He urged the Vice President to ask the government about the “forces deployed there, financial help provided, and rescue operations that are taking place.”

Also read: 10 Bodies found Floating In Chaliyar River As Wayanad Landslides Kills Several

However, Dhankhar dismissed the LoP’s request for a Kerala Congress MP to speak on the issue, emphasizing that any disaster in any part of the country is of grave importance to the House and cannot be confined to one state.

Leader of the House, JP Nadda, emphasized nationwide empathy for the tragedy, assuring that the Government of India, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is “taking all necessary steps for the rescue operations.” Nadda highlighted the government’s standard procedure in such incidents and assured that central agencies were coordinating with the state government on rescue operations.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju addressed allegations that the Centre was not releasing funds, asserting that this was “not the time to play politics.” He clarified that funds were provided in advance under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), a collaborative resource of the state and central governments for natural disasters. Rijiju assured that all available rescue forces, including the NDRF, SDRF, Indian Army, and Air Force, have been mobilized.

Rijiju concluded by promising a detailed report from the Home Ministry “if requested by the House,” stressing the government’s “proactive and coordinated response” to the crisis.