Wayanad (Kerala), July 31 (IANS) Rescue and relief operations continued on a war footing at the landslide-devastated areas of four villages in Kerala’s Wayanad on Wednesday, with 94 more bodies recovered, taking the death toll to 245, in one of the worst disasters to hit the state, with 240 other people still missing, even as a war of words broke out between Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over prior warning of the disaster.

A massive rescue operation involving 1,200 officials from various defence, police, and fire service personnel, besides local volunteers, is currently on at the four worst-affected landslide areas of Wayanad — Churalpara, Velarimala, Mundakayil, and Pothukalu, which caught thousands of people unawares when two landslides took place early on Tuesday.

In some areas, there were practically no signs of any houses and a wave of sorrow swept the survivors.

The APJ Community Hall at Meppadi was one place where only the cries and wails of young and old are heard as it is here that numerous bodies have been kept for people to come and identify.

Prashob, a young man spotted in the hall, was shattered. “I have now identified two of my uncles among the bodies that have been placed here. But I have no clue about seven of my other close relatives. I am in touch with people at other centres where bodies are placed and they are sending me pictures, but I am yet to identify any of my other missing relatives,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kerala Health Minister Veena George who was on her way to the landslide-affected areas in Wayanad met with an accident and is presently being treated at the state-run Manjeri Medical College hospital. Her car hit a two-wheeler and then came to a stop after hitting an electric post and George suffered minor injuries on her head and hand.

On the other hand, a war of words began after Union Home Minister Amit Shah told the Rajya Sabha that the Centre had alerted the Kerala government on July 23, warning of possible danger in and around Wayanad. “Everyone is questioning the government, but I would like to ask what did the Kerala government do. It was a vulnerable situation, but why the people were not shifted to safer places? They were only shifted after the disaster,” he said.

CM Vijayan refuted the claim but sought to play down the issue, saying it was no time for a blame game.

Speaking to the media here, Vijayan stressed that the need of the hour is not to engage in a blame game, while terming parts of what the Union Home Minister said as true and parts as untrue.

“I do not wish to engage in a blame game now as the people in Wayanad are going through untold misery on account of the massive landslide, but the fact of the matter is that there were predictions that came out and they never mentioned a red alert in the affected area. In fact, the red alert came on Tuesday at 6 a.m., when the tragedy occurred several hours before,” he said.

“The IMD had predicted rains to the tune of 115 mm to 204 mm rains at the affected areas, but actually in the first 24 hours, there was 200 mm and in the next 24 hours, 372 mm rains came down making it a staggering 572 mm in 48 hours, much more than predicted. So with these being the facts, I wish to state, that this is not the time for wrangling,” he added.

The Chief Minister also said that there was no prediction of landslides from the Geological Survey of India and when these came, the tragedy had already taken place. “Then there was an alert from the Central Water Commission and it said that from July 23 to 29, not for one single day … of the two rivers which got swollen, there was no mention at all. What was said in the Parliament is not true,” he said, adding that there was a mention that the NDRF was sent early, “but the fact is we asked for it”.

“The need of the hour is climate change disasters have to be dealt with seriously and let us not engage in a blame game… people are in tragedy, let us soothe them,” he said.

“These areas, for all practical purposes, have been completely destroyed. The rescue teams have so far rescued 1,592 people and now there are 8,017 people in 82 relief camps. 201 people were treated in hospitals and now there are 90 under treatment. The rescue efforts are continuing and tribal families are being moved… for those not willing to move, food will be given. Medical facilities are being extended in a big way, with medical professionals from the private and cooperative sectors having joined the state government health officials,” he said.

Meanwhile, the IMD has bad news as it sounded a red alert in Wayanad where rains have intensified, affecting the rescue operations. Bailey bridges are being set up by the army in the area, and another 110-feet bridge has been flown from New Delhi to Kannur, on its way to the affected areas.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, who is the former MP from Wayanad, and his sister and Congress candidate from the area, Priyanka Gandhi, will be arriving in the affected area. Vijayan is also arriving and will hold an all-party meeting to discuss the rehabilitation plans that will be charted out for the ravaged four villages.

–IANS

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Jaipur, July 31 (IANS) Newly-appointed Rajasthan Governor Haribhau Kisanrao Bagde said on Wednesday that his priority will be to work to achieve the goal of ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Addressing a press conference soon after taking oath at the Raj Bhavan, the Governor said, “My efforts will be to work for the development of the tribal areas by ensuring effective implementation of the schemes of the Central and state governments.

“I have gone through the state Budget presented recently. It has very good provisions for the development of the cooperative and agriculture sectors. I will try to ensure all-round progress of Rajasthan.”

He also said that efforts will be made to strengthen higher education in Rajasthan to develop the intellectual capacity of the students.

“As the Chancellor of the state universities, I will make efforts to ensure that they stay ahead in national rankings by reaching new heights,” the Governor said.

He also said that dairy business can prove beneficial for the poor people who do not have the option of farming.

“Work will be done to take such people forward through dairy business,” he said.

The Governor also talked about promoting courses that encourage entrepreneurship under the New Education Policy.

“The youth should be connected with skill development for agriculture and traditional businesses. For this, work will be done to benefit the youth under the CSR policy by coordinating with the industries,” he said.

“As Chancellor, I will make every possible effort to prevent commercialisation of education. I will also try to take forward the good work of (previous Governor) Kalraj Mishra ji and connect the youth with a sense of duty towards the nation.

“I have got an opportunity to work as the Governor in this great land of glorious traditions, the land of the country’s first freedom fighter Maharana Pratap… I come from Maharashtra, the land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

“The environment I grew up in had a direct connection with the public. I came into politics with the sole purpose of dedicating myself to people’s welfare in the public sector,” the Governor concluded.

–IANS

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Patna, July 31 (IANS) The Patna district administration has given coaching institutions a one-month time period to rectify safety guideline violations, officials said.

Chandrashekhar Singh, the Patna District Magistrate (DM), confirmed this decision, stating that failure to comply with safety parameters within the district would result in action against the institutions, including the potential cancellation of their registrations.

“We have called a meeting of coaching institutions in Patna on Wednesday, and several coaching operators were present. They have urged us to give them a month, which I have granted,” Singh said while speaking to media persons here.

This move comes in response to the tragedy in New Delhi’s Old Rajender Nagar.

The Patna district administration had decided to inspect all coaching institutions from Monday, with inspections currently underway since Tuesday.

The inspection team, led by an SDM rank officer, has discovered many deficiencies in safety aspects.

The investigation team in Patna is scrutinising several aspects of the coaching institutes, including registration status, safety arrangements, compliance with building bylaws, availability of fire exit facilities, emergency operation services, and others.

The District Magistrate highlighted several critical issues unravelled during the ongoing inspection of various coaching institutions.

“We have found overcrowded classrooms in majority of the coaching institutions. Additionally, many of them have only one entry and exit gate, lack cross-ventilation, and do not have safety equipment like fire extinguishers. Some institutions have two gates but use only one for entry and exit. We have asked them to make both gates operational. Those with only one gate have been instructed to create an additional gate,” Singh said.

Several coaching institutes in Patna operate in densely populated and highly congested areas such as Makhania Kuan, Khajanchi Road, Annie Besant Road, Thakurbari Road, Bhikhana Pahadi, Musallahpur Haat and other places.

“We have suggested them to establish coaching facilities on the outskirts of the city with all necessary safety parameters,” the DM added.

“In response, coaching operators have demanded that their business be recognised as an industry. Since this matter relates to the state government, the decision will be taken by the relevant authorities,” Singh said.

–IANS

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Bhopal, July 31 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Sudhir Saxena on Wednesday instructed officials to remain very vigilant while verifying the documents for passports.

DGP Saxena asked the officials to ensure that all mandatory norms are followed during the verification of the documents as the subject is related to internal security and the integrity of the country.

He also directed police officials to ensure the people do not suffer.

Saxena made this assertion while addressing a workshop regarding the rules and regulations for the passport at the regional passport office in Bhopal on Wednesday.

He informed us that the passport act in India was introduced in 1967, and since then it has progressed across the country.

“Passport is a very important document… but it is also very sensitive. It has a direct relation with the security of the country, and therefore, mandatory rules need to be strictly followed during the verification of the documents,” Saxena said.

Meanwhile, Saxena also suggested that workshops holding discussions on passports should be organised on a regular basis.

More than 75 officials from different regional passport offices in Madhya Pradesh attended the workshop in Bhopal.

It was the first time a workshop related to this particular subject was organised in Bhopal.

In the last 10 years, as many as 24 regional passport offices have been established in Madhya Pradesh.

In 2023, more than 3 lakh passports were issued from Madhya Pradesh, officials said.

–IANS

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Hyderabad, July 31 (IANS) The Telangana High Court on Wednesday upheld the order of a lower court which sentenced, to death, the convict in the rape and murder of a five-year-old girl in Hyderabad.

The high court dismissed an appeal by the convict against the order of the Metropolitan Sessions Court in the 2017 case, agreeing with the lower court that it is the rarest of rare cases.

Dinesh Kumar Dharne, a migrant worker from Madhya Pradesh, had kidnapped, raped, and murdered the girl at Narsingi in December 2017. He had lured the girl with chocolates, took her to the bushes, and raped her. Fearing that she would inform her parents about it, he bludgeoned her to death.

The victim was the daughter of a couple who had migrated from Bihar for work.

Dharne, who was then aged 23, and the victim’s parents were working at the same construction site in Narsingi and knew each other well. When the girl was playing outside her hut, he took her to a nearby grocery shop on the pretext of buying her chocolates. On not finding their daughter for long, they questioned Dharne, who said he had dropped her back at the construction site and hadn’t seen her ever since.

The police took up the investigation after the victim’s parents lodged a complaint. During the questioning by police, Dharne confessed to the crime and was charged under Sections 363, 366, 376(A) and 302 of the IPC and the POCSO Act.

In February 2021, the Metropolitan Sessions Court in Ranga Reddy district had found him guilty and sentenced him to death. This was the first death sentence in the Cyberabad Commissionerate limits since its formation in 2003 and also was the first delivered by the Ranga Reddy district court in over three decades. Then Commissioner of Cyberabad V.C. Sajjanar had termed it a landmark judgement and said it was a result of a watertight case made against the accused.

–IANS

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