Thiruvananthapuram | Leader of Opposition in the Kerala assembly, Pinarayi Vijayan, on Sunday expressed grief over the death of eight people and an equal number going missing in the state following the heavy rains a day ago and alleged negligence in disaster management on the part of the government.
Urging the government to intensify its search for those missing, Vijayan, in a Facebook post, alleged that people were suffering due to the government's negligence and lack of coordination in disaster management and termed it "unacceptable".
He said that people were making serious allegations against the government of opening the dam in Ranni without prior or proper warning, leading to flooding of many areas and causing huge losses to traders as water entered their shops and damaged goods.
Due to lack of proper warning, the traders could not secure their goods, he said in the post.
The opposition leader also alleged negligence in running relief camps in the state.
He contended that the government itself has admitted that there was a lapse in food distribution.
"Volunteers, locals and political activists had to prepare and distribute food due to lack of coordination among the officials," he claimed in his post.
He said that in view of thousands of people being shifted to relief camps across the state, the administration should work more cautiously and efficiently.
It should ensure food, drinking water, medicine, safe accommodation and compensation for the disaster victims, Vijayan said.
Along with this, the government should also take steps to review the lapses and prevent them from recurring, he added.
He urged the government agencies, local bodies, volunteers and the general public to work together.
Meanwhile, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar accused government officials of threatening traders in Ranni that they will face closure if they do not clear the flood-related waste from the road.
Terming it as "an appalling display of administrative insensitivity", Chandrasekhar, in social media posts, said, "In times of tragedy, people need governance with compassion and not insensitive ultimatums".
He contended that in Ranni, homes, businesses and livelihoods were devastated by floods and the people there need support, relief and a clear path to recovery and not threats.
"The repeated flooding of the Pamba, towns like Ranni getting submerged once again, is not just a natural disaster. It is also the direct result of the state government's long neglect and failure to desilt and dredge the river," he added.
"This approach must change. The state government must ensure immediate relief, fair compensation for every affected family, and justice for those still waiting since 2018," the BJP MLA from Nemom constituency said in Facebook and X posts.
