There was a discussion in the Rajya Sabha about the landslide that occurred in Wayanad, Kerala on July 30. Home Minister Amit Shah expressed condolences to the bereaved families who lost their lives due to the landslide. At the same time, he shared some information about this disaster in the House.

Kerala government did not take action in time: Amit Shah

Amit Shah claimed in Parliament today that the Kerala government was warned in advance about a possible landslide on July 23. He said the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Kerala government was warned by the Centre a week before the landslide hit Wayanad.

Amit Shah said in Rajya Sabha, "Nine teams of NDRF were already sent to Kerala. The Kerala government did not evacuate people in time."

'Please read it'

He said that after this warning was given seven days ago, another warning was given on 24th and 25th July and on 26th July it was said that "there will be heavy rainfall of more than 20 cm, there is a possibility of landslides, silt can also flow down, people can die by getting buried under it."

Shah said that he did not want to say these things in the House but when some members said, "Please listen to us, please listen to us... then we (the government) say, please read it. Please read the warning that has been sent."

Amit Shah mentioned Odisha 

He said that there have been some state governments in this country who have acted on such advance warnings in the past and have not allowed any casualties in such disasters. He gave the example of the previous Naveen Patnaik government of Odisha which was given a warning about the cyclone seven days in advance and said that only one person died in that cyclone, that too by mistake.

Shah said that Gujarat was similarly warned three days in advance of the cyclone and not even a single animal died there.

The Home Minister said that the Government of India has spent Rs 2000 crore on early warning system after 2014 and the states are given warning seven days in advance.

Some people only open foreign sites: Amit Shah

He further said that such warnings are posted on the website which is also available for MPs. He said, "Some people don't even open the sites here, they just keep opening foreign sites. Prior warning will not come from abroad, we will have to look at our site only."

He said there is a mechanism to give early warning about heat, storms, cyclones, rainfall and even lightning. He said some states have taken advantage of this mechanism and got results.

The Home Minister said that with his approval, nine teams of NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) had left for Kerala by air on 23 July itself as there was a possibility of landslides. He raised the question that why did the Kerala government not shift people from sensitive places from one place to another in time and if it did, then how did so many people die?

To the interruption of the members, he said that people were transferred later, not earlier.

This year the country will have an early warning system

Amit Shah further informed that by 2023, India will have the world's most modern early warning system. It is noteworthy that India is among the select four countries of the world that can forecast the weather up to seven days in advance.

Let us tell you that so far 158 people have been reported dead in this disaster. At the same time, hundreds of people are still missing. The Home Minister further said, "This is the time to stand with the people of Kerala and the government there. I want to assure the House that the Narendra Modi government will stand like a rock with the people of Kerala and the government there."