Centre rejects Kerala’s request to declare Wayanad landslides a national disaster

The Union government has rejected Kerala’s request to declare the July 30 Wayanad landslides, which claimed over 400 lives, a national disaster. The Centre’s response, in a November 10 letter, clarified that there is no provision under existing guidelines to declare any calamity as a ‘national disaster’.

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityananda Rai, emphasized that disaster management is primarily the responsibility of state governments. He added that while the Centre provides logistics and financial support, the assistance under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF) is for relief operations, not compensation. Rai mentioned that the Centre allocated Rs 388 crore to Kerala for 2024-25 under SDRF, and as of April 1, 2024, Kerala had Rs 394.99 crore in its SDRF account.

In response, Kerala’s representative in New Delhi, Prof K V Thomas, questioned the Centre’s actions, referring to a report from an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) that visited the affected areas. Thomas called for clarification on the action taken after the team’s assessment.

The Kerala government and opposition parties are outraged over the Centre’s stance. Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi, the party’s Wayanad bypoll candidate, called the decision “a shocking injustice” to the victims. She accused the Centre of playing politics and withholding aid despite Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the disaster-hit region in August.

Political reactions to the Centre’s refusal have been swift, with both the ruling CPI-M-led Left Front and the Congress-led UDF announcing a shutdown in Wayanad district on Tuesday, to protest the government’s refusal to declare the landslides a national disaster. Kerala’s Revenue Minister K. Rajan described the Centre’s stance as “unfortunate,” suggesting it might be an attempt to sideline Kerala.

The decision has drawn sharp criticism from local leaders. The affected families and political parties do not consider the center's allocation of Rs 388 crore to be sufficient after the state government initially requested a relief package of Rs 2,000 crore. The debate continues as the Centre prepares to make a final decision on the funds later this month.

Protests and calls for more aid are expected to escalate as Wayanad demands better support after overwhelming loss.

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