High-level committee to take a call in two weeks on treating the Wayanad landslides as L3 disaster, Centre tells Kerala Hight Court

The Union government on Wednesday informed a Division Bench of the Kerala High Court that the high-level committee concerned will take a decision in two weeks on categorisation of the July 30 Wayanald landslides as Level 3 (L3) disaster.

The submission was made by Additional Solicitor General A.R.L. Sundaresan when a suo motu case relating to prevention and management of natural disasters registered following the Wayanad landslides came up for hearing before the Bench.

During the hearing, amicus curiae and senior counsel Ranjith Thampan submitted that the landslides were the worst ones and 403 people perished in the catastrophe. Therefore, it was absolutely clear that the natural disaster could be categorised as L3 disaster. On categorising the disaster under L3 category, various avenues for providing relief and rehabilitation, including international disaster relief ,would be open.

Besides, in the event of categorisation of the natural disaster as L3, there will be an enhancement in the relief measures. In his report, he also sought a directive to the Centre to consider declaring the landslided under the L3 category.

Referring to the amicus curie’s suggestion for introducing risk insurance schemes to cover natural disasters, the court said the question that needs to be asked is whether the time has come to implement a parametric insurance scheme in collaboration with the Union of India and other stakeholders, including private insurance companies, to tide over the financial constraints perceived by the State in the immediate aftermath of natural disasters.

The court also asked the government to keep the compensation due to survivors into an escrow account in treasury or bank in cases where there are disputes among the members of the family over the amount till the disputes are finally resolved, as otherwise people would think that the government was holding back the amount taking advantage of the dispute.

The State government submitted that the ex gratia payment of ₹300 per day being paid to the survivors would be extended for another 30 days from October 31.

Published - October 30, 2024 07:04 pm IST