Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit the landslide-affected district of Wayanad, Kerala, on Saturday to assess and review the ongoing relief and rehabilitation efforts. His visit comes in the wake of the devastating landslides that have claimed 226 lives and left over 130 people missing since July 30.
The Prime Minister is expected to arrive in Kannur around 11 AM, from where he will conduct an aerial survey of the landslide-stricken areas in Wayanad. This will be followed by an on-site visit at approximately 12:15 PM, during which PM Modi will be briefed by rescue operation forces about the ongoing evacuation and rehabilitation efforts in the region.
During his visit, PM Modi will also visit a relief camp and hospital, where he plans to meet and interact with the survivors and victims of the tragedy. Following this, the Prime Minister will chair a review meeting to receive a detailed report on the disaster and the subsequent relief operations.
The state government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, has intensified search and rescue operations, with the inclusion of relatives of the missing as a “last-ditch effort” to locate any remaining victims. “I am in search of my brothers, hoping to get at least a body part of our dear ones. Many of our relatives and friends are still missing,” said Mohanan, a survivor of the landslide, expressing the deep distress and uncertainty faced by many families.
Excavators and other equipment have been mobilized, and hundreds of rescue workers continue their efforts to find those still missing. Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, has urged the central government to declare the Wayanad landslides a “national disaster.” Gandhi, who visited the area with his sister recently, emphasized the scale of the devastation, predicting that the death toll could exceed 400.
PM Modi’s visit is seen as a crucial step in the ongoing relief efforts and a show of solidarity with the people of Wayanad during this tragic time.
