The Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) has classified the Meppadi landslides in Wayanad as a "disaster of severe nature."
Even though Kerala has been requesting the declaration of the landslides as a 'national calamity,' current guidelines do not allow for any natural calamity to be labeled as such.
Kerala has requested a ₹2,000-crore rehabilitation package for Wayanad in the Union Budget 2025-26.
Introduction
In the aftermath of the severe landslides that struck Meppadi, Wayanad, in July 2024, the Army constructed a Bailey bridge at Chooralmala to aid in recovery efforts. A photograph documenting this construction was credited to PTI.
Classification as a Severe Disaster
The central government has confirmed that the Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) regards the Wayanad landslides as a "disaster of severe nature for all practical purposes." This classification is due to the intensity and magnitude of the landslides that occurred on July 30, as communicated by the Union Home Affairs Ministry in a letter dated December 30 to Tinku Biswal, the Principal Secretary of Revenue and Disaster Management in Kerala.
Statements in the Rajya Sabha
On November 27, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, addressed the Rajya Sabha, emphasizing the IMCT's classification of the disaster as severe. Kerala officials have been lobbying the central government to designate the Wayanad landslides as a "national calamity." However, as per Rai's response, the guidelines from both the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) do not include a provision for declaring any natural calamity as a "national calamity." Despite this, the IMCT has recognized the calamity in Wayanad as being of severe nature.
Financial Assistance
The letter dated December 30 does not address Kerala's request for financial aid for rehabilitation. It does note, however, that in cases of severe disasters, financial assistance for notified natural disasters, such as landslides, is allocated from the SDRF, which is further supplemented by NDRF funds. This follows established procedures, which include an assessment based on the IMCT's visit.
Budget Proposal for Rehabilitation
In its proposals for the Union Budget 2025-26, Kerala has requested a ₹2,000-crore rehabilitation package specifically for the recovery efforts in Wayanad.