Wayanad MP and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will be visiting his constituency on Sunday, August 11, as heavy rains continue in the flood-hit district for the fourth consecutive day.
“Am going to Wayanad tomorrow. Most likely for two days. Spoke to PM, Kerala CM and have asked party workers to help. We are trying to help as much as possible,” the politician informed media on Saturday morning.
Wayanad is one of the districts worst affected by the rains and 24,990 people from 6,819 families have been shifted to 186 relief camps in the district. Landslides at Puthumala have razed 100 acres of land with more than 40 people feared to be trapped inside the debris. Heavy rains that continued for the fourth consecutive day are disrupting the rescue operations at Puthumala with 9 causalities already reported from the district.
Puthumala is an agricultural area, and a little further, in the lower parts, are plantation areas, where numerous migrant workers are reported missing. The quarters for labourers, which have six rooms each, are reported to be affected. The area has been cut off as there is no connectivity.
Talking to media on Friday, the Congress leader stated that he was in talks with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to expedite relief to Wayanad and has also asked the Prime Minister to provide adequate assistance to his constituency.
“The people of Wayanad, my Lok Sabha constituency, are in my thoughts & prayers as they battle raging flood waters. I was to travel to Wayanad, but I’ve now been advised by officials that my presence will disrupt relief operations. I’m awaiting their OK to travel,” he had tweeted.
The people of Wayanad, my Lok Sabha constituency, are in my thoughts & prayers as they battle raging flood waters.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 8, 2019
I was to travel to Wayanad, but I’ve now been advised by officials that my presence will disrupt relief operations. I’m awaiting their OK to travel.
As of Saturday morning, the death toll in the state has risen to 42 with around 29 bodies recovered from Wayanad, Malappuram and Kozhikode districts alone. Over one lakh people have been shifted to relief camps set up across the state.