Wayanad landslides: With nearly 2,000 families looking for relocation, rehabilitating victims a challenging task

Thiruvananthapuram: Rehabilitating the survivors of the landslides that ravaged the areas of Wayanad last week is going to be a tough task for the government, especially with regards to identifying safer locations and providing livelihood to the people who are mostly farmers.

The state government has already announced that townships will be developed on the lines of the rehabilitation of the 2019 Puthumala landslide survivors.

However, it is noteworthy that the number of families to be rehabilitated in 2019 were only around 120, whereas in the current tragedy around 475 houses were damaged and most of the 1,721 families in the landslide hit Mundakkai, Chooralmala and Attamala wards are preferring shifting to safer places.

Despite the numbers being comparatively lower in 2019, the rehabilitation process was quite tiresome.

A revenue department official involved in the rehabilitation of the 2019 landslide survivors told DH that of the 120 odd families that required to be rehabilitated only 63 were willing for community living and hence township was developed for them. The remaining 60 odd families were provided land and financial assistance and sponsorships for constructing houses.

Finding safer land was a tough task and finally a plantation land was used for developing the township with relaxations from the government in utilising plantation land for the township purpose. Those who were carrying out cultivation in the Puthumala region were allowed to continue it. It took nearly two years for the rehabilitation and the government had to meet the rent expenses. Since there was adequate sponsorship, finances were not a major issue, except that some sponsors backed out from the initial offers. Covid-19 outbreak was also a challenge back then.

"The biggest challenge was to give moral support to the survivors to come out of the trauma at least till they are provided a safe rehabilitation," said the official.

Wayanad Prakrithi Samrakshana Samithi (Wayanad nature protection forum) president N Badhusha said that rehabilitation of the families should not be limited just to providing houses, but adequate land for cultivation should be also provided as most of the families were eking out a living from cultivation. Large extent of safe land suitable for cultivation is encroached upon by influential lobbies. The government should take bold steps to acquire such land for proper rehabilitation of the displaced families, he said.

The state government has already initiated the process of identifying government buildings and other suitable buildings in Wayanad for temporarily rehabilitating those who are now staying in relief camps.