Illegal mining, uncontrolled construction and unregulated commercial activity along with heavy rainfall led to the Wayanad landslides, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav alleged on Monday, reported The Indian Express.

The landslides in the early hours of July 30 killed at least 222 persons and left several persons missing.

Yadav on Monday accused “local politicians” in Kerala of allowing illegal human habitation in eco-sensitive zones and permitting encroachment, ANI reported. He also claimed that the Left Front government in the state was avoiding a committee headed by former Director General of Forests Sanjay Kumar that has been tasked with identifying ecologically sensitive areas in the Western Ghats.

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Kerala Forest Minister AK Saseendran, however, described Yadav’s comments as unfortunate and schismatic at a time when the crisis demanded unity, reported The Hindu. He accused Yadav of preparing the legal and political ground for the Centre to deny Kerala’s request to declare Wayanad landslides a national disaster.

The latest tussle between the Centre and the Kerala government comes after Union Home Minister Amit Shah had claimed that the state had ignored warnings about the possibility of a natural calamity in Wayanad.

Shah told Parliament on July 31 that besides the warning sent seven days in advance, additional warnings were issued on July 24 and July 25. “On July 26, a warning was issued that there was a chance of heavy rainfall of more than 20 cm, and there were chances of landslides,” he told the Rajya Sabha.

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The minister claimed that the Kerala government had ignored the warnings and did not respond to the arrival of the National Disaster Response Force battalions.

However, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan countered that the National Disaster Response Force had arrived at the state’s request.

Central agencies’ rain and flood warning alerts were wide off the mark, Vijayan said.

Also read: Could the deaths caused by the Wayanad landslide been avoided?