Wayanad landslides: Kerala government to consider missing individuals as deceased

The Kerala government has decided to consider those who went missing in the devastating 2024 Wayanad landslides as deceased, enabling financial compensation for their families. To facilitate this process, a list will be prepared, and two committees—one at the state level and another at the local level—have been formed to oversee the disbursal of financial assistance to the families of the deceased.

According to a memorandum submitted by the Kerala government to the Centre on August 17, the disaster claimed the lives or caused the disappearance of 359 people. Additionally, the memorandum reported that 95 individuals sustained injuries exceeding 40 per cent severity, and 378 injured persons required hospitalisation due to the landslide.

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As per the National Policy on Disaster Management (NPDM), state governments bear the primary responsibility for disaster management, including providing on-ground relief. The Union government has classified the Wayanad landslide as a disaster of "severe nature," making it eligible for financial assistance from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).

However, no additional funds beyond those allocated under existing disaster management frameworks have been pledged.

The Central government allocated Rs 388.00 crore (Rs 291.20 crore as the Central share and Rs 96.80 crore as the State share) to Kerala under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for the financial year 2024-25. The first installment of Rs 145.60 crore from the Central share was released on July 31, just a day after the landslide. The second instalment, also Rs 145.60 crore, was released on October 1.

The Centre’s stance is that the overall balance of Rs 782.99 crore ( Rs 394.99 crore previous balance) available in the SDRF is sufficient to cover the ongoing relief operations in the state.

Each missing person’s case will be verified by a local committee comprising the village officer, panchayat secretary, and the SHO of the respective police station. This committee will collect details of complaints filed by the relatives of missing persons at police stations. Based on these complaints, the committee will prepare a list and submit it to the Disaster Management Authority, which will review and forward it with recommendations to the state-level committee.

The state-level committee includes the additional chief secretary of the home department and the principal secretaries of revenue and local self-government departments. This structured approach aims to ensure transparency and efficiency in providing relief.

The government's decision comes amid widespread complaints and concerns regarding delays in financial aid distribution. Providing assistance to the families of the missing persons has been a major demand of the disaster-affected.