NEW DELHI/THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: While the country is still shaken by the mass death in Wayanad, Union Home Minister Amit Shah made a serious allegation that Kerala ignoring the rain warning was the cause of the tragedy. Shah told Parliament that nine NDRF teams were sent but people were not evacuated on time.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in a press conference that Shah’s words are untrue. “Now is not the time to blame each other. Steps are needed to help disaster victims. The Union Minister’s warning is always taken very seriously. There is no point in saying that we are not responsible and putting the blame on someone else when a problem arises,” the Chief Minister criticized.

Gave clear warning on 24th and 25th: Shah

• The central government has implemented a world-class system that can warn about natural disasters a week before. Measures are taken to reduce casualties according to this.
• Warning was given on July 18th that there will be rain in Kerala. Warning of more than 20 cm of rain and possible landslides was given on 24th and 25th.
• NDRF team was sent on 23rd. It is the state’s responsibility to evacuate people. Casualties were avoided in Gujarat and earlier in Kerala based on warnings.
• Six years ago Delhi IIT recommended evacuating illegal encroachments in Wayanad. 4000 families in Mundakkai had to be evacuated like that
• Warnings should be taken seriously. Warnings can sometimes go wrong. However, no failure to evacuate people must not have happened

Double rains than forecast: Pinarayi

• There was an orange alert on the day of the tragedy. The central warning was that there would be 115-204 mm of rain. However, on the first day, it rained 200mm followed by 372 mm in the next 24 hours. A total of 572 mm of rainfall in 48 hours.
• Not even once was a red alert given in the area before the disaster. Wayanad was on orange alert in the noon warning of the 29th. Red alert came at six in the morning after the accident
• Geological Survey of India has established a landslide warning system in Wayanad. Not even an orange alert was issued on a single day from the 23rd to the 28th.
• There was a green alert in the mudslide/landslide warning given to Wayanad on 30 and 31. The Central Water Commission has not issued a flood warning for the Iruvanjippuzha River or Chaliyar River.
• NDRF team was made available at the beginning of the rainy season based on an advance request. One of the nine teams was pre-deployed in Wayanad.