Wayanad, Aug 9: Search operations for the missing 152 people continued on Friday, the 11th day of Kerala’s worst-ever natural calamity in Wayanad in which 413 casualties have taken place so far. 

The search operations were taking place in the Mundakayil and Punchirimatom areas.

State Tourism Minister P.A. Mohammed Riyas, who is spearheading the rescue and relief operations, said the search operation will end on Friday, and on Sunday again a similar search operation with the help of the villagers will be held as they are familiar with the area.

Like in the past few days, a few teams on Friday continued to search areas in and around the area where the Chaliyar River originates in Wayanad and passes through the Malapurram district. So far 78 bodies and over 150 body parts have been recovered.

Meanwhile, Friday appears to be crucial as the Kerala High Court suo moto decided to register a case.

The High Court decided to register the case based on media reports and on a letter it received which said that there has been unbridled exploitation of fragile areas in Wayanad and other environmentally sensitive areas.

Experts have time and again pointed out that disasters are waiting to happen and even after clear signals coming from smaller tragedies, the authorities continued to remain silent.

Successive governments in Kerala have blinked to the reports of top experts like Kasturirangan and Madhav Gadgil.

Even though Kerala has four state-run agencies to tackle environmental and climate change issues, nothing much has come from these agencies as there is a serious shortage of experts.

Eyebrows were raised when the Pinarayi Vijayan government entrusted the Kottayam-based Institute of Climate Change Studies to conduct a study and submit a report on the Wayanad landslide.

After having seized of the widespread damage being caused to the environment when tourist resorts owned by the big and mighty have sprung up in eco-fragile areas and homestays, all eyes are on how the High Court.

--IANS
 

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