• By Nidhi Giri
  • Mon, 05 Aug 2024 11:59 AM (IST)
  • Source:JND

Wayanad Landslides: Union environment minister Bhupendra Yadav on Monday stated "illegal mining activity and illegal human habitation" as the reasons behind the tragedy that occurred in Kerala’s Wayanad district, killing at least 308 people. The union minister claimed that the illegal activities were underway under the tutelage of the local government.

"It is an illegal protection to the illegal human habitation by the local politicians. Even in the name of tourism, they are not making proper zones. They allowed the encroachment of this area. It is a highly sensitive area. We have already constituted a committee headed by former Director General of Forests Sanjay Kumar...There has been illegal human habitation and illegal mining activity in the protection of the local government," Bhupendra Yadav said, as quoted by news agency ANI.

The death toll in the Kerala landslides tragedy stood at 308 as the rescue and relief operations entered the seventh day.

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The district administration in Kerala’s Wayanad, which was hit by tragic landslides, conducted a mass burial of the unidentified bodies after no claimants turned up. Multiple ambulances arrived at the scene to transport the bodies. A large crowd was seen at the mass burial site.

The rescue process is still underway in the area with 1,382 members from various forces and about 1,800 volunteers participating in the fervid operation.

Over 180 persons are still missing in the tragic incident that occurred on July 30 in Chooralmala and Mundakkai of Wayanad. As many as 220 bodies have been recovered and the identified ones have been handed over to their relatives, ANI reported citing Kerala Minister K Rajan.

"Today one body recovered from Malappuram and one body part from Soojippara. This is the sixth day of the rescue operation. 1,382 members from various forces and about 1,800 volunteers were part of the rescue operation," the Kerala Minister said during a press conference on Sunday.

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"All forces are doing their work and also we have a meeting with the heads of the different forces to analyze the situation. Thereafter tomorrow, the Chief Minister is having a meeting and the chief secretary is having an official level meeting every day at 10 am," he added.

On Sunday, Union Minister George Kurien met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and apprised him about the rescue operation underway in calamity-hit Wayanad. Earlier, Kurien had also visited relief camps to meet the victims of the incident.

Notably, PM Modi had announced Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia for the next of kin of those killed in the landslides.