Wayanad landslides: Rahul and Priyanka reach landslide-hit Chooralmala

Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra arrived in Wayanad’s Chooralmala, one of the worst hit regions by the catastrophic landslides, on Thursday, 1 August.

Congress leaders, aided by rescue teams and paramilitary forces, are visiting multiple locations of the landslide-hit region to take stock of the damages and devastation.

"LoP Shri @RahulGandhi & AICC General Secretary Smt. @priyankagandhi ji visited the Chooralmala landslide site in Wayanad where devastating landslides have claimed many lives and left families devastated." Congress said on social media platform X and shared photographs of the visit.

Chooralmala, a small town near Meppadi of Wayanad is an idyllic and picturesque location with tea plantations on one side and a river on the other side, but it turned into a valley of death and destruction after landslides hit it hard on 30 July.

Rahul and Priyanka will also visit three relief camps in Meppadi and meet the affected families.

They will visit three relief camps operating at Govt Higher Secondary School, St Joseph UP School, and Dr Moopen’s Medical College in Wayanad's Meppadi.

Notably, Rahul and Priyanka were scheduled to visit Wayanad on Wednesday, 31 July but their schedule was put off because of adverse weather situations and incessant rains.

After visiting the spot, Gandhi in a Facebook post said witnessing the scenes of disaster and tragedy deeply pained his heart.

"The repeated incidents of landslides and natural calamities are extremely concerning. A comprehensive action plan is urgently needed," he said in his post.

“Priyanka and I were scheduled to visit Wayanad to meet with families affected by the landslide and take stock of the situation. However, due to incessant rains and adverse weather conditions, we have been informed by authorities that we will not be able to land,” Rahul Gandhi wrote on X earlier.

Notably, Rahul Gandhi has been an MP from the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he got elected from both Rae Bareli and Wayanad constituencies but he chose the former over the latter. Priyanka Gandhi is likely to contest polls from Wayanad, whenever elections happen.

AICC general secretary and Alappuzha MP K.C. Venugopal and various other Congress leaders were also accompanying them.