Kerala CM announces plan for 1,000 square feet homes for Wayanad landslide victims

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced on Thursday a new plan to build single-storey houses for families affected by the landslides in Wayanad on July 30. Each house will cover 1,000 square feet and can be expanded to two storeys if needed.

This decision was made during an all-party meeting led by the CM, aimed at devising a rehabilitation strategy for those impacted by the deadly landslides in which 78 people are still missing, according to a statement from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO).

The plan also includes rebuilding efforts for victims in Vilangad village, located in the Kozhikode district. Both landslides occurred on the same day, hours apart.

Rehabilitation efforts will prioritise families who lost their homes in the landslides. Those who need to relocate will be considered in the second phase of the plan. The rehabilitation package will also include provisions for livelihood support.

District officials reported that the landslides destroyed 183 homes completely, damaged 170 partially, and made 240 others uninhabitable. In addition, 340 hectares of farmland were lost.

The meeting also agreed to create job opportunities for those who can work, with women receiving training for careers of their choice. Regarding loans taken out by those in the affected areas, banks are considering writing off debts, with a final decision pending from bank authorities.

Rebuilding schools in the disaster-affected regions and constructing new schools where rehabilitation will occur are also part of the plan. Additionally, there will be efforts to improve disaster warning systems. The government will seek assistance from a central agency and strengthen the state’s climate change institute to address these issues.

The landslides, which struck Mundakkai and Chooralmala areas in Wayanad, resulted in over 200 fatalities.

Agencies