Thiruvananthapuram, 3 Aug

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Saturday that search and rescue operations in disaster-hit Wayanad are in their final stages, but 206 people remain missing.

Addressing the media here, Vijayan said there is difficulty in identifying the dead bodies and parts recovered from the Chaliyar river. "Till now, 215 bodies have been recovered, of which 87 are women, 98 are men, and 30 are children. As many as 148 bodies have been handed over so far. There are 206 people missing. Eighty-one people are injured and are under treatment in various hospitals," he said.

The chief minister said 67 bodies are yet to be identified, and the panchayats will do the last rites. He added that the search operations are continuing, involving 1,419 personnel from the Fire Force, NDRF, Forest Department, Police, Indian Army, and volunteers from Tamil Nadu.

K-9 squads and the Tamil Nadu Medical Team are also participating, the chief minister said, adding that advanced equipment like Human Rescue Radar and drone-based radar are also being used.

Referring to the rehabilitation efforts, Vijayan said a secure region will be identified, and a township will be constructed. He said the education minister will visit the schools destroyed in the region, and will ensure that children’s education is not disrupted.

Vijayan said in Chooralmala, 866 police officers are leading search operations. "Fire and Rescue Services, along with volunteers, have played a crucial role, rescuing around 1,000 people using a zip line bridge and a temporary bridge. The Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society contributed significantly by constructing helipads and providing food," he said.

The chief minister claimed that the global community has responded positively to the appeal for contributions to the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF).

He said the donations can be made online to CMDRF through various methods, with receipts available for download. However, the QR code system for UPI transactions has been withdrawn to prevent misuse, he added.

The state government has formed a 'Help for Wayanad Cell' to coordinate the various offers from the global community to provide land and to build houses as part of the rehabilitation process.

Joint Land Revenue Commissioner A Geetha IAS will coordinate the offers and head the cell."An email ID (helpforwayanad@kerala.gov.in) and a call centre with dedicated phone numbers (9188940013, 9188940014, 9188940015) have been created for donor communication," the chief minister said.

He also informed that multiple landslides occurred on Tuesday at Vilangad, near Vadakara in Kozhikode District.

Landslides were reported in Kochuthodukunnu, Panam, Valiyapanam, Paniyeri and Muchankai areas as well, he said. "The government is committed to improving disaster warning systems so as to address the emergent challenges of climate change. The establishment of the Institute for Climate Change Studies in Kottayam aims to conduct research and provide policy advice," he said.

Vijayan said detailed investigations will be conducted to understand the root causes of the Wayanad disaster and develop advanced prediction tools for natural disasters.