Wayanad Landslides: Kerala ADGP MR Ajith Kumar Announces Final Stage of Rescue Operations

Kerala’s ADGP (Law and Order), MR Ajith Kumar, stated on Tuesday that the rescue and search operations for the landslides in Wayanad, which have claimed over 300 lives, have entered their final stage. Kumar mentioned that most of the accessible areas have been covered, and the focus will now shift to the inaccessible regions.

The landslides that struck Chooralmala and Mundakkai in Wayanad on July 30 resulted in over 300 deaths and extensive property damage. The search operations have now been ongoing for eight days.

“The rescue and search operation is moving into its final phase. Almost all accessible land has been covered, except for the slushy areas with approximately 50-100 meters of mud. The mission now is to reach the inaccessible areas, with forest officials acting as guides due to their familiarity with the region,” Kumar said.

Today’s focus will be on riverside and valley areas. Due to adverse weather conditions and previous incidents where local volunteers were stranded, commandos will be airdropped into specific locations.

“The team includes trained commandos, specifically SOG commandos. We plan to airdrop the team within 6 km of Soochipara Waterfalls. Once the area is searched, any found bodies will be airlifted,” Kumar told ANI.

Additionally, a special team will conduct a scanning mission focusing on the Chaliyar River using a helicopter. According to the State Health Ministry, the death toll has reached 308 as of August 2, with 226 bodies and 181 body parts recovered so far. There are still 180 people missing.

Earlier, the Environment Ministry sources indicated that the Kerala government had approved several projects in Wayanad over the past four years, including non-coal mining activities, without thoroughly studying the district’s topography and geomorphology.

“A combination of factors, including inadequate study of the topography and geomorphology, and insufficient safeguards against human activities such as large-scale urbanisation and tourism, have made the region more vulnerable to disasters. These issues appear to be worsened by human impact,” the sources told ANI.

Scientists have attributed the disaster to a dangerous mix of forest cover loss, mining in fragile terrains, and climate change.

(With ANI Inputs)

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