Wayanad Landslide — Federal Faultlines Exposed

The July 30, 2024 landslides in Wayanad district (Kerala) killed nearly 300 people and destroyed thousands of homes. State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) — key under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 — are meant to ensure timely relief; but rigid norms, outdated compensation ceilings, and discretionary classification of “severe disasters” have resulted in gross under-funding. Kerala sought over ₹2,200 crore but got only about ₹260 crore (~11%). The gap underscores a shift from cooperative to conditional federalism — disaster finance now depends on central discretion, not objective triggers. Reform of norms, compensation, and financing criteria is overdue.