Wayanad: Mundakkai the epicentre of a series of landslides that hit Wayanad in the early hours on Tuesday received 572 mm rainfall in 48 hours. Rainfall over 204.4 mm a day is considered extremely heavy as per India Meteorological Department (IMD) guidelines.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarai Vijayan said the region received 200 mm of rainfall in the first 24 hours and a massive 372 mm in the next 24 hours. Punchirivattom near Mundakkai, the epicentre of the first landslide, is devoid of settlements. At least 106 people have lost their lives in the landslides.
"But the debris fell upon Chooralmala Angadi, which is 6km away from the epicentre. The Chooralmala Angadi, which has an even terrain and has had settlements for several years, was not prone to landslides," said Pinarayi.
"There was an orange alert in the region and because of that people were shifted to relief camps when rain intensified and that saved many lives," he said.
Pinarayi has urged the public to follow instructions without fail and accept the fact that even areas that are not prone to landslides and other natural disasters could be affected.
"The localities we live in may not have experienced such events. But under the changed circumstances, even if there is no track record, people must follow instructions. We must keep aside the thought that we cannot shift to a camp just because we have been living at a place for years," Pinarayi said.