NEW DELHI: Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, while speaking on the Wayanad landslide in the Lok Sabha today, August 7, said that the tragedy should be declared a National Tragedy.
“I visited Wayanad with my sister some days back and I saw with my own eyes the pain and suffering that resulted from this tragedy. More than 200 people are dead, and a huge number of people are missing.”
Recalling the horror of the tragedy, Gandhi said, “Landslides have cut vital roads and made it nearly impossible for rescue teams to reach the far reaches. This is a huge tragedy located in one specific area. I urge the Union government to support a comprehensive rehabilitation package and help the affected communities.”
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While speaking on the Wayanad landslide, the Leader of the Opposition also urged an enhancement of the compensation package for the survivors or the families of the deceased in the Lok Sabha, “I would also urge the Union government to enhance the compensation that people are receiving, and I would also like to urge the government to declare the event a national disaster.”
Gandhi appreciated the equal effort by both the central and state governments, “I would like to commend the work of the Union and State Govts, NDRF, SDRF, Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Fire Department, and others, as well as assistance from the neighbouring states, including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana.”
“It’s very sad to see that in several cases only one member of a family survived. Sometimes the person is a child, and sometimes the person is an adult. So, it was a real-time tragedy. I would like to thank the entire house for supporting the people of Wayanad,” Gandhi added.
According to the latest media reports, the death toll in the landslides-hit Wayanad remains at 224, while the total number of incomplete body parts found so far has risen to 189.