Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Thursday sought a response from the Central government regarding disaster relief funds for Wayanad, which was ravaged by a landslide in July. The court initiated a suo motu case after the disaster and emphasised the urgency of restoring normalcy in the affected region.

Court demands Central action
During the hearing, the division bench of Justice A.K. Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice Syam Kumar V.M. pointed out that neither the National Disaster Management Response Fund (NDRF) nor the Prime Minister's Relief Fund had released any funds for the Wayanad disaster. The court criticised this inaction, especially as neighbouring states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka had received allocations from both the State Disaster Management Response Fund (SDRF) and the NDRF.

Addressing Additional Solicitor General A.R.L. Sundaresan, who represented the Centre, the court orally urged for immediate "positive action" to get Wayanad "back on rails" at the earliest.

Sundaresan requested time until October 18 to gather instructions from the Central government and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

Landslide aftermath
The landslide that struck on July 30 devastated four villages in Wayanad, causing widespread destruction. A total of 231 people lost their lives, with 47 still missing. The calamity also destroyed 145 homes entirely, while 170 homes were partially damaged, 240 declared uninhabitable, and 183 washed away by the force of the landslide.

State submits resettlement plan
In response to the disaster, the state government filed a statement detailing land identified for resettlement of the affected population. An expert body had examined the land and deemed it fit for settlement, the court was informed.

Advocate General K. Gopalakrishna Kurup, representing the state, also noted that the Centre has yet to decide on writing off loans for landslide victims, a relief measure recommended under Section 13 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

After considering all submissions, the court adjourned the case to October 18.

Kerala Assembly raises funding delay
On the same day, the issue of Central funds was also raised in the Kerala Assembly. Revenue Minister K. Rajan highlighted the Centre's delay in responding to the state's request for relief funds. He noted that, despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the affected areas two months earlier, only assurances had been provided so far.

Kerala had submitted a detailed memorandum to the Centre on August 17, but no funds have been allocated yet.

The court and state government await further action from the Central authorities.

IANS