Central team visits landslide-affected areas in Wayanad

Wayanad (Kerala) [India], August 9 : A central team led by Union Home Department Joint Secretary and Inter-Ministerial Central Team Leader Rajeev Kumar visited the disaster-hit areas of Wayanad.
The central team visited Churalmala and Mundakai and returned after spending two hours at the disaster site. They spoke to local residents who survived the disaster. They also witnessed the severity of the disaster by walking along the road in front of the Vellarmala school to Patavettinum which was destroyed in the landslide.
They met Wayanad district collector Meghasree, minister for PWD and Tourism P A Muhammad Riyas and Forest Minister A K Saseendran at civil station, Kalpetta.
The visit by a central team comes after Kerala Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan had requested the central government to declare this as a national disaster and a severe calamity.
Massive landslides hit Chooralmala and Mundakkai of Wayanad on July 30 creating widespread devastation.
Disaster Management Principal Secretary Tinku Biswal, Special Officer Seeram Sambasiva Rao, District Collector DR Meghashree, Assistant Collector Gautam Raj, Nodal Officer Vishnu Raj, KSDMA Member Secretary Dr Shekhar El Kuriakos accompanied the team.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit landslide-affected sites in Wayanad on August 10.