Wayanad:

For the second day in succession, the man-animal conflict has taken the life of a tribal man near Meppadi near here. Since Tuesday night, 25-year-old Balan has been missing and his body was found in the morning.

The place where the incident took place is near the area in the district where 254 people were killed in landslide in July 2024.

A local resident Balakrishnan said Balan was returning from the shop but he took a different route.

“This morning, I went to his place to call him for work and was told that he was missing. Soon we started a search for him and we saw his body which was completely smashed and the head portion damaged,” said Balakrishnan.

“The body has now been covered and is lying at the same place where it was found. We are waiting for the officials to arrive, while the locals are up in arms against the inaction of the officials,” added Balakrishnan.

Nousha Marikar, the Wayanad District Panchayat President, said the officials’ inaction continues and lives are lost.

“We strongly feel that had the officials acted on time by undertaking a patrol, things could have been better. This incident took place a few kilometres from the forest station. There are no street lights as this area is known to be wild elephant-infested area,” said Marikar.

The incident happened 24 hours after 45-year-old Manu was trampled to death by a wild elephant in Sulthan Bathery in the district.

The man-animal conflict has gripped the hilly district of Wayanad. On January 24, a woman, who was going to pluck coffee beans, was killed by a tiger.

Balan’s death is the 10th one in the past decade in Wayanad and the second one in two days.

Wayanad borders Tamil Nadu and Karnataka states and is surrounded by deep dense forests and is home to tigers, wild elephants and wild boars which have left the people especially those living near the forest areas in perennial fear.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Wayanad:

In an unfortunate incident, tourists in Kerala’s Wayanad dragged a tribal man on the car’s bonnet following a verbal duel between two groups with the Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi calling for stringent action against the accused.

Mathan, the tribal man, was a bystander when the two tourist groups at the check dam site in Koodal Kadavu were engaged in a verbal duel. When Mathan questioned the wrongdoers, he was taken to task by one of the groups.

Mathan, a resident of Mananthavady in the hilly district of Wayanad, was dragged for nearly half a kilometre along the road by the tourists.

CCTV footage of the incident has also gone viral on social media which shows the inhuman way in which Mathan (49) was dragged on the road.

Later speaking to the media at the hospital, Mathan said that he suffered injuries on his hands and legs. “One of the occupants in the car was holding my hand when I was on the car’s bonnet,” he said.

The police have registered a case and also seized the car used in the crime. However, police are yet to arrest the accused.

Meanwhile, Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi said the authorities should ensure that stringent action should be taken against the accused.

“The Kerala government should ensure speedy justice in the case and stringent action should be taken against them,” the Wayanad MP said.

Kerala Minister for SC, ST & BC Minister O R Kelu, a tribal himself and hails from Wayanad said this is a very serious issue and the authorities will take action soon.

He also informed that the victim would be given all the medical facilities.

Former State Minister of SC/ST and present Lok Sabha member K. Radhakrishnan said that generally, these things don’t take place in Kerala.

“Just because someone has money, they cannot be allowed to get away and the law should catch up with them,” said Radhakrishnan.

Wayanad MLA T. Siddique said this is the sad state of affairs the way tribals in Kerala are being treated under the present state government. “This is not acceptable and action will be taken against the wrongdoers,” said Siddique.

Popular tribal leader C.K Janu said this is a grave matter as it’s most unfortunate to see how a human being was being treated.

“The tourists are under the influence of liquor and drugs. The perpetrators should be jailed as soon as possible,” said Janu.

Meanwhile, the Police have identified those behind this incident and are expected to be taken into custody soon.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

In a heart-warming moment, Rae Bareli MP Rahul Gandhi stopped to click a picture of his sister and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as she entered the Parliament building for the first time as a Lok Sabha member.

Ms Vadra was elected as the MP from Kerala’s Wayanad in the recently concluded bypolls. She made her political debut from the constituency after Mr Gandhi vacated the seat, choosing to retain family bastion Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh in the Lok Sabha elections. Her debut into the electoral fray comes 20 years after she campaigned for Sonia Gandhi in Rae Bareli and Rahul Gandhi in Amethi during the 2004 Lok Sabha elections.

Wearing an off-white saree with a golden border and holding the Constitution booklet, which has become a familiar sight in this Parliament session after Rahul Gandhi and other MPs of the INDIA bloc started carrying it, Priyanka Gandhi was greeted with loud cheers and chants of Bharat Jodo as she took the oath.

With Ms Vadra’s entry in the Lok Sabha, the three Gandhis, including Rahul Gandhi and their mother Sonia Gandhi, are now Members of Parliament. Ms Sonia Gandhi is currently serving as a Rajya Sabha MP.

In the Parliament today, chaos erupted over a multitude of issues soon after Ms Vadra and Nanded MP Ravindra Chavan were sworn in. Thursday was the second consecutive day that both Houses were adjourned amid Opposition din.

New Delhi:
Forty-three of Jharkhand’s 81 assembly seats will go to polls in the first phase of election today. A handful of by-elections are also scheduled, the most prominent of which is Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s test in Kerala’s Wayanad.

Here are top 10 points on this big story:

Wayanad:

The bypoll for the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency will see 16 candidates, most of them independents, battling it out for a chance to represent the hill constituency, with UDF’s Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, LDF’s Sathyan Mokeri and NDA’s Navya Haridas being the frontrunners.

After the last date for withdrawal of nominations came to an end on Wednesday, 16 candidates were in the fray for the LS seat which was vacated by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi after he also won from the Rae Bareli LS constituency in the recent parliamentary elections.

While Priyanka Gandhi is making her electoral debut in the bypoll, Mokeri had contested the Lok Sabha polls from Wayanad in 2014 and significantly reduced the then Congress candidate M I Shanavas’s victory margin to around 20,000 votes.

Mokeri, a senior CPI leader, is known for his work addressing issues in the agricultural sector.

BJP’s Haridas has worked for a decade as a councillor in the Kozhikode Corporation.

Besides them, there are 13 other candidates who were allocated election symbols for the bypoll, a statement issued by the Wayanad district administration said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra filed her nomination from Wayanad on Wednesday. When asked if Priyanka would be a better MP for Wayanad than brother Rahul, Mr Gandhi first said, “It is a tough question” and immediately added, “I don’t think so.” The duo, along with other Congress party members on a bus chuckled, as seen in a video posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Do I think Priyanka would be a better MP for Wayanad than me? pic.twitter.com/VO62xequDv

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 23, 2024

In a minute-long video, Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are seen having a candid conversation about Wayanad, earlier represented by Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha from 2019-2024. The video begins with Priyanka Gandhi asking, “What is this face you are making?”

“I will miss Wayanad, that is the face I am making,” Mr Gandhi added.

When asked who would he choose as the MP of Wayanad, other than himself, he opted for sister Priyanka Gandhi. Explaining his answer, he said, “Not because I like her or I am very fond of her and love her very much. But she will actually do a good job. She has many qualities. She goes into a lot of detail. And she is my sister.”

To this, Priyanka recognised Rahul Gandhi’s love for the people of Wayanad and vice versa.

“I hope to be able to continue that bond with them,” she added.

Mr Gandhi went on to praise her sister, who will be contesting the upcoming by-poll in the Lok Sabha seat. “If she likes you, she will do whatever; beyond anything you can imagine. She is also going to like Wayanad a lot. You see, a huge part of being a good MP is that you like the people and place you work for. She is going to like it,” he exclaimed.

In the Lok Sabha polls this year, Rahul Gandhi won both Wayanad and Rae Bareli seats and decided to retain the latter, paving the way for the by-poll.

Seeking support for his sister, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha said, “I think you understand very well the relationship I share with the people of Wayanad. What Wayanad has done for me cannot be expressed in words. When feelings are really deep, the only way to express them is through action.”

“I would like to remind you Wayanad is the only constituency in the country that has two MPs, one is official, the other unofficial, and they will work together to protect the interests of the people of Wayanad,” Mr Gandhi added.

Wayanad (Kerala):

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday carried out an aerial survey of disaster-hit areas of this north Kerala district where landslides claimed hundreds of lives.

PM Modi conducted aerial survey of the landslide-ravaged Chooralmala, Mundakkai, and Punchirimattom hamlets aboard an Indian Air Force helicopter, on which he departed to Wayanad from Kannur Airport around 11.15 am.

He was accompanied by Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Union Minister of State for Tourism and Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi.

After the aerial survey, he will land at the SKMJ Higher Secondary School in Kalpetta here from where PM Modi will proceed to certain landslides-hit areas by road.

His visit comes at a time when the Kerala government has sought Rs 2,000 crore in assistance for rehabilitation and relief work in the disaster-stricken region.

At least 226 people died and many remain unaccounted for after landslides hit the region on July 30 in what is seen as one of the biggest natural disasters to have impacted the southern state. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Calling it a “good decision”, Rahul Gandhi posted a thank you note for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is set to visit Kerala’s landslide-hit Wayanad on Saturday.

PM Modi will visit Wayanad to review the relief-and-rehabilitation efforts and interact with survivors.

“Thank you, Modi ji, for visiting Wayanad to personally take stock of the terrible tragedy. This is a good decision. I am confident that once the Prime Minister sees the extent of the devastation firsthand, he will declare it a national disaster,” said Mr Gandhi, who until recently represented Wayanad in parliament.

Thank you, Modi ji, for visiting Wayanad to personally take stock of the terrible tragedy. This is a good decision.

I am confident that once the Prime Minister sees the extent of the devastation firsthand, he will declare it a national disaster.

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 9, 2024

Earlier, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had requested the central government to declare this as a national disaster and a severe calamity.

Officials said PM Modi will reach Kannur around 11 am and then undertake an aerial survey of the landslides-affected areas in Wayanad.

PM Modi will then chair a review meeting during which he will be briefed in detail about the incidents and the ongoing relief efforts.

The Prime Minister’s visit comes days after Rahul Gandhi – accompanied by sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who is going to make her poll debut from the constituency – visited the area.

“I remember what I felt when my father died. But here people have not just lost a father… they have lost families… brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers. I know what I felt (when his father was killed) and this is much worse than that. It is not one person suffering but thousands,” said Mr Gandhi underscoring the

Days of torrential monsoon rain battered the southern coastal state of Kerala, advertised as God’s own country, before twin landslides struck before dawn on Tuesday last week, killing more than 200 people.

The landslides in Wayanad, famed for the tea estates that crisscross its hilly countryside, were the worst since about 400 people were killed in floods in Kerala in 2018.

The recent landslides in Wayanad have prompted the central government to act swiftly in designating Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESA) in the Western Ghats, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the eight “hottest hotspots” of biological diversity in the world. On July 31, the central government issued the sixth iteration of the draft notification, proposing to declare over 56,825.7 square kilometres of the Western Ghats across six states – Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu – as ESA. This includes 13 villages in Kerala’s Wayanad, which experienced a series of landslides on July 30. Roughly 400 people died due to the landslides, while 150 still remain missing. 

The central government’s decision reflects a realisation that designating the entire region as an ESA in one go might not be feasible. The new notification follows an older draft issued in 2022, which expired when the central government and the six states could not reach a consensus on the extent of the ESA in their respective areas.

The latest draft proposes to designate 449 square kilometres in Gujarat, 17,340 square kilometres in Maharashtra, 1,461 square kilometres in Goa, 20,668 square kilometres in Karnataka, 6,914 square kilometres in Tamil Nadu, and 9,993.7 square kilometres in Kerala as ecologically sensitive. This step-by-step approach is largely due to a decade of failed attempts to achieve a consensus among the states.

Why No Consensus?

The Union Environment Ministry first issued a draft notification for the ESA in March 2014, based on recommendations from the High-Level Working Group (HLWG) established by the Central government in 2013. Headed by space scientist K. Kasturirangan, the HLWG reviewed the earlier recommendations of 2011 made by the Madhav Gadgil-led expert committee on ESAs. While the Gadgil committee had recommended designating 64% of the Western Ghats as ESA, the Kasturirangan panel proposed only 37%.

The Gadgil report included detailed landslide vulnerability mapping and identified villages prone to landslides. However, stakeholder states opposed these recommendations, arguing they were too restrictive and detrimental to development and livelihoods. Environmentalists, meanwhile, claim that state governments have faced pressure from vested interests, such as mining and tourism industries, to delay the notification.

“Multiple stakeholders and propaganda by select players is hampering the consensus. A national policy may not translate to reality even though it has its scientific backing as local sentiments are often a sensitive subject,” says environmentalist Arun Krishnamurthy, founder of E.F.I, a Chennai-based NGO. “Prolonged acceptance by state governments often correlates with grassroots acceptance of the proposed policies,” he adds.

In particular, Kerala and Karnataka objected to the proposed bans on mining, quarrying, and the establishment of new industries. Concerns have been raised in Kerala, where a significant portion of the population resides within or near the proposed buffer zones.

Dr. Thara KG, former head of the Disaster Management Centre in Kerala, highlights the state’s challenges: high population density, livelihood concerns, and housing issues. “There is resistance to the ESA from people who feel their immediate problems need addressing first. The entire state is vulnerable.  When all districts in Kerala are multi-hazard-prone districts, where do you relocate people? The only remedy is to mitigate the vulnerability,” says Dr. Thara.

Hastening The Process

In April 2022, the Centre formed a new panel under former Director-General of Forests, Sanjay Kumar, to work closely with states and resolve issues. This five-member expert panel is expected to submit its report by the end of next month and has been actively engaging with the six states to address inconsistencies and information gaps in the draft notification.

The latest draft includes proposals such as a complete ban on mining, quarrying, and sand mining. Existing mines are to be phased out within five years from the final notification or the expiry of existing leases, whichever comes first. The draft also prohibits new thermal power projects while allowing existing projects to continue without expansion. It bans highly polluting industries (as specified by the State Pollution Control Board) and their expansion, and prohibits large-scale construction projects and townships, with exceptions for repairs and renovations of existing buildings.

Reports suggest that many states have requested reductions in the ESA areas and adjustments to the inclusion or exclusion of certain villages. The draft specifies that agriculture, plantation, and less polluting activities will not be affected by ESA provisions, and the final area will be determined based on state recommendations.

The landslides in Wayanad, as well as similar disasters in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, underscore the dangers posed by unscientific infrastructure, uncontrolled tourism, illegal mining, and habitation in eco-sensitive areas.

“The repeated calamities are bringing us closer to reality. Building consensus requires cutting across political lines with science and logic, ensuring appropriate compensation for those affected, and avoiding compromises that favour powerful interests,” says Krishnamurthy. He adds, “Detailed community awareness, engagement, and a phased, results-oriented policy are crucial for conserving the Western Ghats.”

The ongoing debate between environmental conservation and development remains challenging as there is a need to find solutions that do not compromise either side.

(Bharti Mishra Nath is Contributing Editor, NDTV)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

Wayanad:

The Kerala government on Wednesday said it was taking immediate steps to rehabilitate all the families affected by the massive landslides in this north Kerala district more than a week ago.

The announcement was made by state Revenue Minister K Rajan who is part of a Cabinet sub-committee currently camped out close to the disaster areas to assess the situation there.

K Rajan, after an emergency meeting of the committee with the panchayat presidents and secretaries at the Collectorate on the issue of temporary rehabilitation of people in the relief camps, said that assistance will be provided to all eligible persons including those in camps, homes of relatives and hospitals.

There is no truth in the campaigns which claim that people have to register themselves at the camps to be included in the rehabilitation plan, he said.

“The rehabilitation package will be prepared on the basis of accurate data from the landslide affected areas and not on the basis of who is living in the camps,” the minister said.

He said that the propaganda that only those in the camps will get help was not true.

Giving details of the steps taken, K Rajan said that the committee has directed the local bodies to identify vacant houses, quarters, flats and hostels within the panchayat limits for temporary resettlement of the people living in camps operating in various schools.

It will also help to resume classes in the schools where the camps are running, he said.

The minister also said that government quarters and hotels will also be used for temporary resettlement of the landslide survivors.

He also said that where private accomodations, including flat complexes, are concerned, the government will fix the rent and pay the same and none of the survivors would be burdened with the payments.

K Rajan said the plan for temporary resettlement of people is being implemented to provide more comfortable accommodation for the affected people and to resume studies in the schools which are functioning as camps.

The first consideration for rehabilitation of the victims would be the vacant houses, government quarters, hotels, home stays and hostels in panchayats close to the disaster-hit areas, he said.

The minister said that the government’s plan is to safely relocate the people living in the camps in a phased manner.

The number of deaths resulting from the devastating landslides in the Mundakkai and Chooralmala areas of Wayanad on July 30 has increased to 226 with around 138 people missing.

The search operations for those missing from the landslides-hit Chooralmala and Mundakkai areas continued for the ninth day with 1,026 personnel from various forces, including the army and navy, over 500 volunteers and heavy machinery being deployed there.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)