Thiruvananthapuram: Hours after the principal secretary of the Kerala State Disaster Management, issued a gag order banning scientists from visiting disaster-affected areas of Wayanad, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan asked the Chief Secretary to cancel the order.

He said the state government has no such policy to prevent the scientific study of the disaster-affected areas. He asked the officials concerned to withdraw such an order.

Earlier in the day, Tinku Biswal, state relief commissioner and principal secretary of the Kerala State Disaster Management asked the Principal Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology to direct all science and technology institutions in Kerala not to undertake any field visits to Meppadi panchayat, which is notified as a disaster-affected area.

“The scientific community shall be directed to restrain themselves from sharing their opinions and study reports to the media. If any study is to be undertaken in the disaster-affected area, prior permission shall be obtained from Kerala Disaster Management Authority,” the note said.

Tinku Biswal told Onmanorama that the move is in keeping with disaster management protocols. ''Other than rescue and relief personnel, we discourage and wherever possible restrict the movement of others into and from the disaster site,'' she said.