Landslide

Landslide blocks Rishikesh-Badrinath highway, CM Dhami monitoring situation

According to reports, the highway remains closed, with debris falling at multiple locations, including Animath and Pagal Nala in the Jyotirmath Kotwali region

Priyanka Gandhi asks PM for unconditional aid for Wayanad landslide victims

Highlighting the immense loss of lives, livelihoods, and infrastructure, she expressed disappointment over the inadequacy of the recently announced Rs 529.50 crore relief package

Wayanad rehabilitation: No assistance from the Centre yet, says Kerala CM

The Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said that while no assistance has come from the Centre till date for rehabilitation of survivors of Wayanad landslide, Rs 712.98 received in the Chief Minister's Disaster Relief Fund will be used for helping the survivors. Vijayan said that the state had initially demanded a sum of Rs 2,221 crore for the landslide rehabilitation from the Centre, but as per the Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) report, more is expected. "As the Union Government declared Wayanad landslide as a 'disaster of severe nature' MPs from across the country can contribute up to a sum of Rs 1 crore and I have already written to all MPs in the country seeking help," he added. The CM was replying to a query raised by UDF MLA Kurukkoli Moideen during the question hour in the Legislative Assembly, on the amount received for the Wayanad package. Vijayan assured that the funds received in the CMDRF will be utilised for the benefit of the disaster survivors a

17 dead, 9 missing after flash flood in Indonesia, search ops resume

Indonesian rescuers resumed a search Wednesday for people missing after flash floods and landslides on Indonesia's main island of Java that killed at least 17 people. Waters from flooded rivers tore through nine villages in Pekalongan regency of Central Java province and landslides tumbled onto mountainside hamlets after the torrential rains Monday. National Disaster Management Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari said flooding triggered a landslide that buried two houses and a cafe in Petungkriyono resort area. The disasters all together destroyed 25 houses, a dam and three main bridges connecting villages in Pekalongan. Muhari said at least 17 people were dead, nine were missing and 13 injured by Wednesday. Nearly 300 people were forced to flee to temporary government shelters. The search and rescue operation that was hampered by bad weather, mudslides and rugged terrain was halted Tuesday afternoon due to heavy rain and thick fog that made devastated areas along the rivers dangerous

Kerala announces rehabilitation project for Wayanad landslide survivors

The Kerala government on Wednesday approved a comprehensive rehabilitation project for survivors of devastating landslides in Wayanad district that killed over 200 people last July. The project involves setting up two townships to provide a safe and sustainable living environment for those affected by the disaster. Addressing a press conference after the cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the two townships, proposed in two selected plantation estates in Kalpetta and Kottappady, would have all basic amenities, including houses, schools, health centres, anganwadis, markets, parking areas, playgrounds, drinking water, sanitation facilities, and so on. The CM addressed the press conference to detail the proposed project, which, he said, would be completed in a time-bound manner. He said rehabilitation does not mean just providing a house but it would compromise all possible livelihood means to help the survivors to move on with their lives. All those who come forwar

Kerala min slams Centre for delay in declaring Wayanad landslide 'severe'

Criticising the Centre for taking five months before declaring Wayanad landslide as a 'disaster of severe nature,' Kerala Revenue Minister K Rajan said on Tuesday that it would have been more beneficial if the Centre's announcement had come within two months after the calamity struck. The state government had on Monday received an official communication from the Centre that the Wayanad landslides have been declared as a disaster of "severe nature," recognising its intensity and impact for all practical purposes. Addressing reporters here, Rajan said it would have been more beneficial if the Centre's declaration had come within two months of the disaster. We can't just understand why it took more than five months for the Centre to make such a declaration, the minister said. He said despite the Inter-Ministerial Central Team submitting its report to the Home ministry within a month of the disaster, The Centre's high-level committee sat on it for five months to recognise the landslide

Glad Shah declared Wayanad tragedy as 'Disaster of Severe Nature': Priyanka

Centre had informed the state of Kerala that the Meppadi landslide disaster in Wayanad district has been considered by the Inter-Ministerial Central Team as a disaster of 'severe nature'

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Kerala's eventful 2024 marred by disasters, scandals and political twists

The devastating landslides that wiped away three villages in Wayanad, Congress' thumping victory in the Lok Sabha polls and AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's maiden electoral victory were the significant events that shaped the Kerala's socio-political scenario in 2024. The revelations of sexual abuse and harassment in the Malayalam film industry, brought to light by the Justice Hema Committee report, also stirred up the political pot due to the delay in disclosing the panel's findings, which followed allegations of rape against some key actors, including ruling CPI(M) MLA and actor M Mukesh. On 30 July, massive landslides occurred in the Chooralmala and Mundakkai regions of Wayanad, triggered by torrential rains, resulting in over 200 deaths, numerous injuries, and thousands being left homeless. It is considered one of the worst natural disasters in Kerala's history. Hundreds were left buried under the debris and many had to be pulled out by rescue agencies, which ...

Major landslide occurs in Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh, no casualty reported

A major landslide occurred on Dharchula-Tawaghat-Lipulekh road here in Uttarakhand, resulting in the closure of the road. There was no casualty, officials said. The landslide occurred around 11 am near Tawaghat in Pithoragarh, District Magistrate Vinod Goswami said. While there was no casualty in the incident, the landslide led to the closure of the road, he said. "SDM Dharchula and BRO officials have reached the spot and work on opening the road to Lipulekh on India-China border is on," he said. The road will be reopened soon, the DM added. The landslide probably occurred when debris from another road that is under construction above the main road started sliding, Goswami said. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said traffic has been affected due to the landslide on Tawaghat-Dharchula National Highway. Expressing relief over the fact that there was no casualty in the landslide, he said efforts are on to open the route as soon as possible. "The district administration and the ..

Consider excluding Rs 120 cr from airlift charges: Kerala HC to Centre

The Kerala High Court on Wednesday asked the Centre whether it can exclude around Rs 120 crore from the Rs 132 crore demanded as airlift charges for rescue operations carried out by the IAF in the state since 2006. A bench of Justices A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and Easwaran S said if the Rs 120 crore was freed up in this manner, the amount can be utilised immediately for the rehabilitation of the landslide victims in Wayanad. The bench asked the Centre to consider giving permission to temporarily free up the Rs 120 crore and relaxing the NDRF/SDRF norms so that the amount can be utilised for the rehabilitation purpose. "It is for a noble cause, so the central government should not have a problem," the court said and listed the matter on January 10, 2025 to await the Centre's response on the aspect. During the hearing, the bench also said that the sending of the bill of Rs 132 crore as airlift charges in October right after the state sought financial assistance from the Centre for ...

Wayanad landslide: Union govt 'adding chilli' to wounds, says Kerala FM

Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal on Sunday criticised the union government for demanding payment for disaster relief and rescue operations conducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) during Wayanad landslides. He described the move as "adding chilli to the wounds" of the state, already burdened by the aftermath of the disaster. Addressing reporters here, Balagopal accused the BJP-ruled Centre of "failing" to provide even the funds it had promised to the state for disaster relief. The Finance Minister alleged that this was akin to mocking the people of the state. "In addition to such an approach, a new bill has been introduced in the name of the Air Force," he said. "Really, this approach is like adding chilli to a serious wound," Balagopal added. He also questioned the stance of BJP leaders, including Union Minister Suresh Gopi and former Union Minister V Muraleedharan, on the issue affecting Kerala. Balagopal made these remarks in response to queries regarding a letter dated O

Priyanka Gandhi slams Centre for not providing relief package to Wayanad

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday accused the Centre of denying assistance to landslides-affected people of Wayanad due to politics and asserted that there should be no discrimination in times of natural disasters. Her remarks came after MPs from Kerala, including Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi, staged a protest in Parliament premises Saturday, demanding a relief package from the Centre for landslides-hit Wayanad. Staging their demonstration in front of the steps of the Makar Dwar, the MPs raised slogans calling for "justice for Wayanad". They also held a banner with "Justice for Wayanad, provide relief package for Wayanad" written on it. Speaking with reporters, Priyanka Gandhi said, "We are very disturbed by the fact that the government is refusing to give a special package to Wayanad. We have gone to the home minister, we have written to the prime minister and to everyone possible, to declare that this as a calamity of a severe nature and to give a special package." Simi

10 dead, 2 missing after landslides, floods hit Indonesia's Java island

Indonesian rescuers recovered 10 bodies that were swept away in flash floods or buried under tons of mud and rocks that hit hilly villages on the country's main island of Java, officials said on Monday. Two people are still missing. Torrential rains since last week have caused rivers to burst their banks, tearing through more than 170 villages in Sukabumi district of West Java province, as mud, rocks and trees tumbled down mountainside hamlets, said Lt. Col. Yudi Hariyanto, who heads a rescue command post in Sukabumi. Landslides, flash floods and strong winds devastated 172 villages and forced more than 3,000 people to flee to temporary government shelters, Hariyanto said. Authorities have warned nearly 1,000 people to evacuate as more than 400 houses are threatened by extreme weather. The disasters also destroyed 31 bridges, 81 roads and 539 hectares (1,332 acres) of rice fields, while 1,170 houses were flooded up to the roof. Extreme weather has also damaged more than 3,300 other

Landslides, floods hit Indonesia's Java island; 10 dead, 2 missing

Indonesian rescuers recovered 10 bodies that were swept away in flash floods or buried under tons of mud and rocks that hit hilly villages on the country's main island of Java, officials said Monday. Two people are still missing. Torrential rains since last week have caused rivers to burst their banks, tearing through more than 170 villages in Sukabumi district of West Java province, as mud, rocks and trees tumbled down mountainside hamlets, said Lt Col Yudi Hariyanto, who heads a rescue command post in Sukabumi. Landslides, flash floods and strong winds devastated 172 villages and forced more than 3,000 people to flee to temporary government shelters, Hariyanto said. Authorities have warned nearly 1,000 people to evacuate as more than 400 houses are threatened by extreme weather. The disasters also destroyed 31 bridges, 81 roads and 539 hectares of rice fields, while 1,170 houses were flooded up to the roof. Extreme weather has also damaged more than 3,300 other houses and building

Wayanad landslides: SDMA figures of relief funds inaccurate, says Kerala HC

The Kerala High Court on Saturday criticised the state government and its disaster management authority (SDMA), saying their figures regarding the funds in connection with rehabilitation of the landslides-hit areas of Wayanad are "inaccurate". A bench of Justices A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and Mohmmed Nias C P also questioned why the funds were being delayed for months and observed that it was turning into another disaster. It said when asking for assistance from the Centre, the state government should provide accurate figures. The court observed that auditing was not accurate and the funds were not being handled properly. It directed the government and the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) to submit accurate figures regarding the funds. It directed that the amount allocated from the Rs 677 crore in the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for rehabilitation, the amount spent and the amount required should be placed before the court. The state government told the court that

Rock bolt tech speeds active landslide treatment in Uttarakhand hill zones

The rock bolt technology is successfully treating active landslide zones in the hilly areas of Uttarakhand, an official of the Border Roads Organisation said here on Saturday. Landslides occur almost regularly in the hill areas of the state, especially during the monsoon season, blocking roads and causing inconvenience to Chardham pilgrims, and often claiming lives, he said. Active landslide zones on Gangotri and Yamunotri highways have been a major issue for the Chardham pilgrims as well as the local people for years, the official said. The Australian rock bolt technology is being used at present in the treatment of active landslide zones in Raturisera and Bandarkot on Gangotri highway in Uttarkashi district, BRO Commander Vivek Srivastava said. The technology was used earlier too in the treatment of Nalupani and Chungi Badethi landslide zones which had long been active along the highway and the good results at the two points encouraged authorities to apply it elsewhere too, he ..

Kerala HC criticises Centre, state on lack of clarity in Wayanad relief aid

The Kerala High Court on Friday criticised the Centre and state governments for lack of clarity regarding the disaster relief and rehabilitation fund accounts in connection with the landslides that hit Wayanad in July this year. A bench of Justices A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and Mohmmed Nias C P directed that the Finance Officer of the State Disaster Management Authority be present in person on Saturday to present the accounts. The court also posed several queries, including how much funds were required for reconstruction and rehabilitation of the landslides-hit areas of Wayanad and the amount of financial assistance to be provided by the Centre, to which it wanted answers. The queries also included how much amount was there in the relief fund before the disaster, how much was available for use out of it and what portion of the amount allocated by the Centre was utilised. The bench said once these queries are addressed, it will issue further directions. The queries from the court ca

Wayanad landslide: No information on Centre's relief aid, says Kerala govt

Stepping up its attack on the union government over the lack of assistance for the landslide survivors of Wayanad, the Kerala government on Sunday said it was yet to get any information regarding the amount to be allotted to the state for their relief and rehabilitation. The Left government reminded that the state and the Centre were not enemy nations, but part of the same Constitution and requested the Centre to act as a "guardian angel" during the time of tragedies. Revenue Minister K Rajan said the state government has submitted all the details in connection with the landslide and the union government has not notified it so far if there was any mistake in the figures provided by them. The figures of the loss suffered during the landslide had to be submitted by the state initially and it was done without any fail, he told reporters here. Later, the state had submitted the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) in accordance with the norms. There was also no information about the

Landslide, flash floods hit Indonesia's Sumatra; 16 dead, 6 missing

Rescuers in Indonesia recovered 16 bodies under tons of mud and rocks or that were swept away in flash floods that hit mountainside villages on Sumatra Island, officials said Monday. Six people are still missing, officials said. Mud, rocks and trees tumbled down a mountain after torrential rains over the weekend and rivers burst their banks, tearing through four hilly districts in North Sumatra province, washing away houses and destroying farms. Police, soldiers and rescue workers used excavators, farm equipment and their bare hands to sift through the rubble looking for the dead and missing in Semangat Gunung, a resort area in Karo district, said Juspri M. Nadeak, who heads the local disaster management agency. Rescuers recovered six bodies after a landslide hit two houses and a cottage late Sunday, he said. Nine injured people managed to escape, he said. Rescuers on Monday were still searching for four missing people, including two children. Rescuers on Sunday pulled two bodies