Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday urged the Central government to declare the landslides in Wayanad a “national disaster”.
Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Gandhi also requested a comprehensive rehabilitation package, including building disaster-resilient infrastructure, and enhanced compensation for the victims of the landslides.
“I visited Wayanad with my sister some days back and saw with my own eyes the devastation, suffering and pain resulting from this tragedy,” said the Congress leader. “More than 200 people are dead and [a] vast number are missing, but the eventual casualty is going to be 400 plus.”
According to officials, at least 308 people have so far been killed due to the landslides triggered by heavy rains in the district’s Meppadi area on July 30.
On Wednesday, Gandhi also commended the work of the Central and state governments, the National Disaster Response Force, the Army, the Navy, the Coast Guard, health personnel, the Forest Department, the Fire and Rescue Department, and the state governments of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana for their efforts in the relief and rescue operations in Wayanad.
The former Wayanad MP also noted that different communities came together to help each other.
Also read: Could the deaths caused by the Wayanad landslide been avoided?
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