Wayanad landslide township becomes flashpoint before Kerala polls

Wayanad: Rows of newly built houses on the outskirts of Kalpetta are slowly becoming the new address for families who lost everything in the devastating 2024 Wayanad landslides. But as Wayanad moves toward the 2026 Kerala Legislative Assembly election, the government’s township rehabilitation project is also emerging as a political talking point.

The Kerala government is constructing a township to rehabilitate families from the landslide-hit areas of Chooralmala and Mundakkai. They've already handed over the keys to the first 178 beneficiaries.

According to local leaders, 410 houses in these areas suffered damage during the disaster.

Government steps up

Sahad K K, former president of Meppadi panchayat and currently a ward member, said the rehabilitation plan has been structured in phases to prioritise those most affected. “The government is building houses in the township here in Kalpetta and allocating them in three phases,” Sahad told DH.

“In the first phase, homes were given to families whose houses were partially destroyed. That is how 178 families were allotted houses earlier this year.”

The second phase will include families whose houses were filled with slush and became uninhabitable. The final phase will prioritise households whose properties are now inaccessible or lack basic road access and parking facilities.

Sahad said that the authorities had tried to ensure that no eligible beneficiary was excluded. “As far as the families who have not been included in any of these phases, we have taken a list and handed it over to government officials. I’m sure something will be done about it,” he said.

For survivors, the township represents far more than a housing project. Manoj JMJ, a resident of Chooralmala who lost family members in the disaster, said the months after the landslide were among the most difficult his family had ever faced.

“My house was near the Chooralmala school. We were sleeping when the incident happened,” he told DH. “I lost my sister and her family and several others. We went through major mental distress. We lost homes built with our hard-earned money.”

Smitha, another resident who lost her home said the government’s response gave survivors some reassurance. “They immediately arranged relief camps in schools and other government buildings and provided financial assistance. We received rs 9,000 a month for two members of the family, and that support has continued till today,” she said.

Seeing the new houses at the township was an emotional moment, Manoj added. “Usually when politicians promise such things, it never happens. But within one and a half years, the government fulfilled its promise.”

Political sparring

Opposition leaders have questioned both the implementation and the attempts to claim credit. V D Satheesan recently said the houses were built by the government using funds contributed by the public to the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund, not by any single political party.

“It was not the CPI(M) but the government that constructed the houses using funds contributed by everyone,” Satheesan said, adding that contributions from the public and UDF representatives had also supported the project.

Congress leaders had earlier argued that even months after the disaster, the government had not produced a clear beneficiary list, raising questions about how houses were being allotted.

At the national level, Amit Shah and Bharatiya Janata Party leaders accused the state government of delaying the submission of a disaster assessment memo to the Centre, claiming this stalled the release of central funds.

Meanwhile, the Congress is also facing scrutiny over its own commitments. Former Rahul Gandhi, who represented Wayanad in Parliament, had promised that the party would build 100 houses for victims, while the Youth Congress pledged 30 more.