Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said the rescue mission in the landslide-hit Mundakkai region of Wayanad could take a few more days, and appointed a cabinet sub-committee of four ministers to coordinate the rescue efforts.
The four ministers will be camping in Wayanad where the landslides triggered by torrential rains have left at least 177 people dead.
Vijayan, who met the media after an all-party meeting, praised the 'commendable' efforts of the rescue workers, especially the Indian Army.
The chief minister told the media that the Army representatives had apprised him that all those who could be saved from the debris have been rescued.
"There are so many missing people. We have recovered so many bodies from many parts of the region. The rescue workers have recovered many bodies from the Chaliyar River. Many body parts were also recovered," the chief minister added.
He said the scale of the rescue work is such that it cannot be completed in a short period of time.
"As of now, 12 ministers are camping in Wayanad. Now the all-party meeting has decided that four ministers will camp here to coordinate the rescue operations," Vijayan said.
Vijayan said Revenue Minister K Rajan, Forest Minister A K Saseendran, PWD and Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas, and SC/ST Department Minister O R Kelu will camp in the district.
The chief minister said that many people of the area were still missing, and it had initially been difficult to begin the search operations due to the massive accumulation of soil at the landslide spot.
"Initially, it was not possible to take big machines for rescue operations. But now that the Army is completing the construction of the Bailey Bridge, the mission will be easier," Vijayan added.
With the completion of the Bailey Bridge between Chooralmala and Mundakkai, being built by the Army, the required equipment for rescue operations can be transported to disaster-affected areas.
When reporters asked about rehabilitation efforts, the chief minister said the state's experience with helping people rebuild their lives and livelihoods in the instances of previous natural disasters would be tapped to help the survivors of the Wayanad tragedy
Special priority will be given to resume the education of disaster-affected children, Vijayan said, adding that they will be given the opportunity to continue their education wherever they are.
"Arrangements for this will be made by the local bodies and the education department," he added.
Moreover, the survivors are being offered counselling by the state department of health to help them deal with the psychological trauma caused by the disaster.
Speaking about the numerous families housed in relief camps, the chief minister asked the media to to respect their privacy and refrain from shooting and reporting inside the encampments.
The chief minister said that anyone, including reporters, who wants to meet the survivors can do so outside the camps, with due respect given to the privacy of others.
On the possibility of the outbreak of infections at the camps, he said, "Measures will be taken to prevent the occurrence and spread of infectious diseases in the area. The instructions issued regarding this by the Department of Health shall be followed by all."
Vijayan added that steps will be taken to reproduce or reissue important certificates and documents to those who have lost them in the disaster.
He also said that the carcasses of domestic animals will be buried safely.
After the press conference, Vijayan received cheques donated by various organisations to the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF).
Addressing the all-party meeting, Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan said the state would stand together during this crisis and overcome it.
"The opposition will completely support the state government in the rescue efforts. Those who are missing should be traced," Satheesan was quoted as saying in a release issued by the Chief Minister's Office.
Satheesan also suggested that the services of experts from CUSAT (Cochin University of Science and Technology) should be employed to ensure that such incidents are prevented in the future.
Congress ally Indian Union Muslim League's leader P K Kunhalikutty urged the authorities to speed up the rehabilitation of the survivors.
At the meeting, it was also decided that the details of migrant workers who lost their lives in the tragedy would be collected swiftly. It is suspected that workers from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Assam, among other states, were employed at a tea estate near Wayanad.
The opposition leader visited the relief camps and consoled the survivors.
Vijayan visited the disaster-hit areas along with the ministers and met the army officials who constructed the Bailey Bridge.
The chief minister said that searches of the disaster-affected area and the river would continue in the hope of recovering the bodies of the missing persons.
