KALPETTA: Even a year after the Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslides, the beneficiaries list for the government township being built to house the survivors remains shrouded in confusion. With protests to boot.
The District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has released a list of 402 beneficiaries in Attamala, Mundakkai and Chooralmala wards of Meppadi panchayat for the township coming up at Elstone Estate in Kalpetta.
At the same time, the representatives of the action councils for the disaster-affected said that 10 families in Attamala, around 60 in Mundakkai, and around 50 in Chooralmala were excluded despite being eligible for inclusion in the list.
Complaints in that regard have risen from among those living near the red zone -- deemed uninhabitable by the John Mathai Committee, those with partially damaged but isolated houses, and those with houses intact but roads leading to the area falling in the red zone.
Allegations have also risen from people who lived in rented quarters on tea plantations for three to four generations.
“My ancestors migrated from Palakkad district to Mundakkai to work on tea plantations three generations ago,” said Liji, a resident of Mundakkai.
“I’m born and raised here in the padi (residential quarters on estates) at Rattapadi in Mundakkai ward. The side of our kitchen was destroyed in the landslide. But the authorities are saying our padis are out of the John Mathai Committee’s ‘No Go Zone’. Just because we are tenants here and the destroyed residence doesn’t belong to us, our hardship is being neglected by both government and organisations.”
Liji’s family now resides at a rented house in Kalpetta. Though the survivors have been split into two action councils -- Jankeeya Samithi and Janashabdam -- the office-bearers unanimously allege that more than 100 eligible families are still off the list. “We have created a list of more than 500 landslide-affected families who need to be rehabilitated, but the government has included only 402 families,” said Shajimon Chooralmala, Janashabdam Action Committee convener.
He said several families in Attamala, Rattapadi, Punchirimattom, Mundakkai and Padavettikunnu areas are awaiting a response from the government regarding rehabilitation.
“Maybe, their houses are only partially damaged or intact, but they are isolated. The people in Punchirimattom were simply fortunate to survive the disaster. Those who escaped unharmed, and without much damage to their property, still have to cross the Bailey Bridge, a temporary portable bridge, in Chooralmala. They are asked to shift during heavy rain. How can they live there without fear? The remaining families should be included in the beneficiary list,” Shajimon said.
Meanwhile, the district administration said that issues with the tenants’ documents have led to the situation and that there are technical problems with each complaint, especially related to the marking of the ‘No Go Zone’ by the John Mathai Committee.
“DDMA prepared the list of beneficiaries after field visits and by following government norms. Survivors affected directly, families in the ‘No Go Zone’, and families residing within a 50-metre radius of the ‘No Go Zone’ are included in the list. DDMA has recommended the inclusion of 48 more families to the government,” Wayanad Collector Meghashree D R said.
Wayanad landslide affected 232 elderly people
KALPETTA: In the Mundakkai-Chooralmala disaster, 232 elderly people from 10,11,12 wards of Meppadi Grama Panchayat were isolated after losing their family members. Out of these, two people lost all their family members and 18 people were relocated despite having relatives
The government ensured the distribution of food kits for the elderly for a year through Supplyco. The social welfare department is paying special attention to ensuring the welfare of differently-abled, elderly and transgender people
Two differently-abled people who lost their assistive devices in the disaster were provided with electric wheelchairs. Another differently-abled person was handed over a three-wheeler while 10 others were given sewing machines for their livelihood. As many as 59 differently-abled people were directly affected by the disaster