THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Major General Vinod Tom Mathew, who led the rescue operations in the disaster-stricken areas of Wayanad, told TNIE that it is still not safe at Chooralmala and Mundakkai as landslides are likely to occur in the area in the future too. Mathew is scheduled to meet Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Monday and Tuesday respectively.
When Wayanad faced devastating landslides in the wee hours of July 30, a team led by the 56-year-old Major General reached the area the following day and rescued over 300 people. Mathew, the general officer commanding of Kerala - Karnataka region, was scheduled to meet the top state government leadership after taking over his new role. Hailing from Ezhumuttom in Thodupuzha, Mathew has 35 years of service in the Indian Army.
He rates the Wayanad landslides as one of the most disturbing rescue missions he had participated in. He had actively taken part in rescue missions during the Odisha cyclone in mid-2000 and the 2004 tsunami. On the eve of meeting CM Pinarayi, Mathew shared with TNIE that the people of Chooralmala and Mundakkai knew that a disaster might happen.
“It is human nature, nobody wants to leave their houses behind. I can’t blame anyone for not leaving. Once the government reconstructs the ravaged areas, the survivors might live a little far from the river. But I feel that the landslides can happen again, the soil has come down. The area is not safe. It might regularly happen over the years. The overhang is still there, but most of the soil has been washed away,” Mathew said.
An alumnus of the 1985 batch of Sainik School Kazhakoottam, the Maj Gen and his team had instilled hope and courage in scores of survivors and rescuers who were on ground zero. He said that when there’s a disaster, people feel hopeless.
“But the presence of the Army instilled a deep sense of confidence and hope. Apart from the people who were affected in the landslides, the rescuers were energised by our presence. In the initial phase, we have to give hope to the survivors. So, we were glad that we were able to reach out to the people faster and thereby save scores of lives among the debris”, he added.
The official who has two more years of service in his career spanning over three decades was deeply disturbed by the sight of orphaned kids in the relief camps.
