Setting New Standards in Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation for those aected by the devastating landslides last month in Chooralmala, Mundakai, Punchari Mattam, and other areas of Meppadi Panchayat in Wayanad is an urgent priority for Kerala. Over the past few years, Kerala has been increasingly impacted by natural disasters due to climate change, signicantly aecting people’s lives and socio-economic conditions. e widespread destruction of homes, agricultural lands, and livelihoods has been substantial e government’s timely intervention, supported by the community, is providing hope for rebuilding lives and restoring dreams in Wayanad. Aer the disaster, 983 individuals were sheltered in 17 camps, with 794 directly aected by the landslides. e main goal was to quickly arrange temporary accommodation for them by August 30. Under the Cabinet Sub-Committee’s leadership, rescue missions and relief eorts coordinated the relocation of individuals from camps to rental houses. While government quarters and nearby rentals were arranged, many aected people preferred staying close to their previous residences due to concerns about children’s education, jobs, and separation from family and friends, prompting eorts to provide temporary housing as close as possible to their original homes.

e rent for temporary houses was set at INR 6,000 in the rst phase, which would also be provided to those moving to stay with relatives. ough there was concern about how long the rent assistance would be provided, the response that it would continue until permanent housing is completed satised most people. e temporary rehabilitation aimed to be completed by August 30 was achieved by the night of August 24, moving nearly 800 aected individuals from camps within a month. is quick relocation is a signicant achievement, considering the history of prolonged camps for similar disasters. When 17 camps were initially set up, special ocers were assigned to each camp, and a Deputy Collector was appointed for overall management. As the camps were dissolved and temporary rehabilitation began, a help desk was established at the Collectorate with the phone number 04936-203450 to address ongoing issues of those in temporary residences. Assistant Collector Gautham Raj was specically tasked with examining the issues of those under temporary housing. Ocials from the Economics and Statistics Department were also assigned to personally call and ensure that all necessary assistance was provided to those in need.

All those moving from camps to relative’s houses or rental houses were provided with Back Home Kits, necessary furniture, household items, cleaning materials, and food kits. Provisions were made for the comfort of those in hospitals, ensuring they had suitable accommodations when they returned. An emergency assistance of INR 10,000 per family was provided to all aected individuals, including those who stayed in the camps. Financial aid from various sources such as SDRF, CMDRF, and PMNRF is being provided to the families of the deceased. e government has initiated a plan to provide employment assistance in the form of INR 300 per person for two members of each aected family. Although, under the KSDMA Act, this assistance is limited to one month, the state government has already requested NDMA and the central government for permission to extend it to three months. A signicant concern for those who lost everything was how to return to normalcy. In a major relief, Kerala Bank has decided to waive o all debts of the aected individuals in the disaster-hit area. A special SLBC meeting chaired by the Chief Minister announced a moratorium on loans for the aected.

e government has also raised the demand with banks to write o the loans. Special camps were set up to replace lost ocial documents, and relevant papers were distributed to aected individuals. Students from Vellarmala School were relocated to GHSS Meppadi, while those from Mundakai LP School were accommodated at LPS Meppadi, with classes starting this week and an admission festival scheduled for September 2. An August 23 meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary gathered feedback from aected individuals and stakeholders to ensure eective rehabilitation. A geoscience study led by Dr. John Muthaiya, as recommended by the Landslide Advisory Committee, is assessing the safety of continued habitation in the village. e results will determine if those whose homes were not completely destroyed can remain in the area, guiding their inclusion in the permanent rehabilitation plan. e township initiative led by the Chief Minister has been well-received, with the Revenue Department identifying locations to build single-storey houses of 1,000 square feet for those who lost their homes, designed for future expansion. Priority will be given to the most aected, with additional phases planned for others as agreed in a recent all-party meeting. Beyond housing, the government will focus on providing livelihood opportunities, including training for women to start businesses. Political parties and voluntary organizations are committed to supporting these eorts, aiming not just to rebuild homes but to fully restore the lives of those aected, making Kerala a model for comprehensive rehabilitation.