CHOORALMALA: Year after massive landslides washed away the hamlets of Chooralmala, Mundakkai and Punchirimattam, fear, agony and gloom prevail in the ghost villages. There is little sign of human life in the areas devastated by the debris flow that ripped off the lives and livelihoods of around 600 families.
From the valley of Vellarmala to Punchirimattam, Mundakkai and Chooralmala, the scars of the landslide remain. Small streams gush down the hillock from either side of the landslide spot. The Punnapuzha river meanders along, touching the huge boulders that rolled downhill on that furious day.
The Bailey bridge constructed by the Army soon after the landslide remains the sole link to Mundakkai. The district administration has restricted entry to Chooralmala given the heavy rain pounding the area over the past few days.
“The valley has around 15,000 tonnes of debris. Heavy rain can trigger a deadly debris flow that could even wash away the bailey bridge,” Wayanad Collector D R Meghashree told TNIE.
A few estate workers collect passes from the village office every day and cross the river to pluck cardamom from the plantations. As people from the entire area have been evacuated, wild animals – including elephants – roam around the hamlets of Punchirimattam, Mundakkai, Attamala, and even Chooralmala.
Like those on the landscape, the scars in the minds of survivors too refuse to fade.
“We lived in a small house on a 30-cent plot near the Vellarmala school. Now, there is no trace left of our house,” said Sajna, a survivor. She said their locality had 17 families.
“All of them, including my friends and relatives, were swept away. The rumbling of the river still resonates in my ears. It was like a few helicopters flying overhead. Our house started shaking and I could hear screams outside. I called my husband and children and we started climbing the hills in panic. We ran for around two hours and reached Neelikappu town, when we saw fire tenders rushing to Chooralmala,” Sajna recalled.
Three wards of Meppadi panchayat – Attamala, Mundakkai and Chooralmala – were destroyed by the landslide, Attamala ward member N K Sukumaran.
“We performed final rites and buried 298 bodies. Many went missing. As many as 631 families have been shifted to rented houses and the government provides Rs 6,000 as rent to these families. Two adults of each family get an allowance of Rs 9,000 each as wage compensation,” he said.
The government has identified 402 families for allocation of houses at the rehabilitation township in Elstone estate, Kalpetta, he said.
“Another 50 families have appealed for houses. A few have opted for the Rs 15-lakh compensation,” Sukumaran said.
Besides the government initiative, the Muslim League and the Congress have decided to construct 100 houses each for the survivors. The Philokalia Foundation and other social organisations have also offered to donate houses.
But farmers in Attamala, Punchirimattam, Padavetti, Rattapadi and Gopimoola, who lost around 320 hectares of farmland, have not received any compensation as they are outside the ‘no safe zone’ marked by the John Mathai Committee. The owners of shops at Chooralmala, who lost their livelihood, too are in distress due to the lack of support.
For the students of Mundakkai UP School and Vellarmala Government Vocational HSS, life has changed completely. Both schools were destroyed in the landslide. While the Mundakkai school lost 13 students, the Vellarmala school lost 33. The school for Mundakkai UP students now functions at a community hall near the Meppadi panchayat office and the Vellarmala school has been relocated to a portion of the Meppadi Government HSS.
A building constructed for the kitchen and dining hall of the Meppadi school now houses the Vellarmala VHSS, with the Builders’ Association having built two floors to accommodate the students.
The school is awaiting permission from the education department to conduct a commemoration function at the abandoned building on July 30, the first anniversary of the tragedy.
The teachers and students plan to reach the school at 7am and pay tributes to the victims. The Meppadi panchayat committee has decided to conduct a silent march to the burial ground and offer an all-religion prayer on the day.