Why catastrophic Wayanad landslides cannot be declared 'national disaster'
What's the story
The Kerala government led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and its ally, Congress, have both urged the central government to declare the Wayanad landslides as "natural disaster."
But the answer to this request is not clear-cut.
The reason for this can be traced back to 2013, when the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government declared that "there is no provision to declare a natural disaster as a national disaster."
BJP
Concept of a 'national disaster' does not exist: BJP leader
Responding to demands from various quarters to declare the Wayanad landslides a national disaster, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader V Muraleedharan said, "The concept of a 'national disaster' does not exist under the Central government's guidelines."
This has been the case since the UPA government's tenure, he said.
He stated that then Union Home Minister Mullappally Ramachandran explicitly stated this in a response to a question in the Lok Sabha on August 6, 2013.
Past statement
'No provision to declare natural disaster as national disaster'
The 2013 reply by then Minister of State for Home, Ramachandran, in Parliament states that "the government...adjudges a calamity of severe nature on a case-by-case basis, taking into account factors such as the intensity and magnitude of the calamity, the level of relief assistance, the capacity of the state government to tackle the problem."
"The priority is immediate relief and response assistance in the context of a natural calamity. As such, there are no fixed prescribed norms."
Additional relief
NDRF considers additional assistance for tragedies of 'severe nature'
However, for tragedies of "severe nature," the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) considers additional assistance after following the established protocol.
Ramachandran had stressed that the concerned state governments are largely accountable for implementing necessary rescue and relief efforts in the aftermath of natural disasters.
Since the landslides struck Mundakki, Chooralmala, and Vellarimala villages in Wayanad district on July 30, at least 400 people have died, and many more are still missing.
Recent developments
Gandhi visits landslide-hit area; thanks Modi for support
On Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi urged the central government to declare the landslides a "national disaster," provide a comprehensive rehabilitation plan for those impacted, and increase compensation to victims.
Gandhi also praised the Union and Kerala state governments, as well as personnel from the NDRF, SDRF, Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Fire Department, and other agencies, as well as support from nearby states such as Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana.
Modi
PM Modi lands in Kerala
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Kerala on Saturday to assess the damage caused by landslides in Wayanad district.
The prime minister will be briefed on the continuing evacuation efforts in Wayanad by rescue teams. He also plans to visit a relief camp and a hospital to meet and speak with the victims and survivors of the landslides.