Left parties, PMK, MNM condoles loss of lives in Kerala landslides

CHENNAI: Left parties, PMK and MNM on Tuesday condoled the loss of over 90 lives in landslides in the Wayanad district of Kerala.

In a statement, CPM state secretary K Balakrishnan said that the sudden heavy rains in Kerala caused landslides in the Wayanad region. "Areas including Suralparai, Velarimalai, Mundagail and Pothugalu have been affected by landslides. Many areas are cut off making them inaccessible. There were news reports that many lives were in danger due to landslides in the area where the flood relief camp was located, " he said, adding that his party has decided to provide a relief of Rs 10 lakh to the neighbouring state and also to collect funds from the public for the relief activities.

CPI state secretary R Mutharasan urged the union government to extend due assistance to the Kerala government on a wartime basis for the relief operations without showing its usual political discrimination. He expressed condolences to the family members of the deceased in the landslides.

Condoling the loss of lives, PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss said that the Tamil Nadu government should learn lessons from this and take steps to prevent illegal mineral mining in the Western Ghat areas of TN. He alleged that failure to protect the Western Ghats has led to landslides in Wayanad and other areas.

Actor and MNM founder Kamal Haasan stressed the urgency of understanding climate change and acting on it immediately.

He wrote, "The disasters caused by the landslides in Wayanad and Valparai of Kerala make my heart ache. My deepest condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones, homes and belongings. Natural disasters have become a regular occurrence due to climate change. We all must work together to understand the impact of this, " he wrote, expressing gratitude to the army and the dedicated state government employees who risked their lives to rescue the people in difficult and dangerous situations.