Wayanad: Igniting hopes for the hundreds displaced in Wayanad landslides, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the township project to rehabilitate 402 families here on Thursday. He unveiled the project plaque as marking the foundation stone laying ceremony of the township at Elstone Estate in Kalpetta.

Lauding the unity of Keralites in the rescue and relief efforts, the CM stated that despite financial constraints, the state took up the mission to rehabilitate the landslide survivors with public support. The people of Kerala proved that nothing could prevent the successful implementation of the township project.

"Kerala's unity and humanity helped us execute this project. We proved that determination can overcome even the impossible," said the CM.

"Today, the Revenue Minister introduced me to a boy. Rescuers pulled him from the muddy land hit by the landslides. Doctors brought him back to life after removing mud from his internal organs. Numerous such stories come to mind as I visit Wayanad," he said.

"The government is implementing this project by coordinating assistance from all possible sources. This rehabilitation initiative has gained recognition as a model at both the national and international levels. It will also be remembered as a historic effort," added the CM.

A total of 266 people were killed, and 32 went missing in the landslides that struck Wayanad’s Mundakkai and Chooralmala areas on July 30, 2024. A total of 630 people were rescued from the mud.

"We needed ₹2,221 crore for the rehabilitation project, but the Centre refused to meet our demands. Although we requested the Centre to declare the disaster a national calamity, there was no positive response," said the CM, taking a jibe at the central government.

Addressing the event, the Chief Minister announced that the Karnataka government had sanctioned ₹20 crore for constructing 100 houses for those displaced by the landslides. He added that the DYFI, a pro-CPM organization, raised funds for 100 houses by collecting and selling scrap materials. Students of the National Service Scheme (NSS) in colleges also contributed ₹10 crore to the township project.

Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi, Ministers K Rajan and Mohammad Riyas, Kadannappally Ramachandran, Opposition Leader VD Satheesan, and other dignitaries attended the ceremony.

Minister K Rajan, who chaired the event, stated that the township project aims to provide houses, schools, playgrounds, a library, and all essential community facilities. He added that the government would sponsor the education of 21 students who lost their families in the landslides.

Currently, the people displaced in the landslides at Mundakkai and Chooralmala are housed at 16 panchayats across the district. 

Close to the event venue, a plan for a house to be constructed on 7-cent land is on display. 

The beneficiaries were seen as emotional while attending the inaugural function of the township project. 

The township is being built on government-acquired land and will feature single-storey houses of 1,000 sq ft on seven-cent plots, with provisions for future expansion into two-storey homes. The township will also include essential amenities such as a health centre, anganwadi, market and community centre.

The Uralungal Labour Contract Co-operative Society (ULCCS), which is constructing the township, has assured that disaster-affected families will be able to move into their new homes by December. If the High Court delivers its final verdict on April 3, construction will commence the very next day.