KAVALAPPARA: Following the 2019 tragedy, Kavalappara has become a landslip-prone area with several studies suggesting that it is no longer safe for human settlement. Residents are still trying to cope with the shock of what happened: The memories of victims still buried under the earth are haunting them. Though many wish to relocate, there is no suitable land available.
During downpours, a sense of dread takes over, and families move to relief camps as soon as authorities issue a warning. Heavy rain that lashed the area in June, July and August over the last three years had them worried. In 2023, however, the rain stayed away, providing some much-needed relief.
According to authorities, nearly 71 families, comprising 34 tribal families and 17 families staying on the banks of Kavalappara thodu (stream), near the tragedy-hit hill, are yet to be relocated. The government has rehabilitated 152 families who lost their homes, and the remaining families residing near ground zero are to be moved considering the possibility of further landslides.
Raveendran Elamudiyil, a former panchayat member and resident of Kavalappara, said authorities have failed to find land conducive for their relocation. “If they are unable to provide land nearby they should consider other places in the panchayat. We identified lands in Nellipoyil and Erumamunda regions but they were not ready to consider them,” said Raveendran, whose house is in Bhoodanam colony, close to the Muthappan hill. He was a member of the Pothukallu grama panchayat when the tragedy hit.
“We submitted a request in 2019 itself. The government rehabilitated families who lost houses in Anakallu and Njettikulam areas by 2022. The area borders the forest and many people from the tribal communities here rely upon the wild for their sustenance. They cannot be moved to distant locations,” he added.
The landslide at Kavalappara occurred a couple of hours after Puthumala, in neighbouring Wayanad district, was similarly affected. The two sites are on either side of a section of the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats. Watershed from the hills in Puthumala flows into the the Chaliyar, which winds past Kavalappara. On August 8-9, 2019, the Chaliyar inundated several towns and villages on its path. “The 2019 flood and landslide marooned four tribal colonies in Shantigram, the ward I then represented. Residents of Munderi, Vaniyampuzha, Tharippapotti and Kumbalappara tribal colonies still reside in temporary sheds inside the forest and accommodation provided by the forest department. The relocation of people who lost their houses is yet to be fully realised,” said Raveendran, of the CPM-affiliated Adivasi Kshema Sabha (AKS).
According to Jayan, another resident, those who own land in the area have been unable to utilise it for other purposes. “Nobody wants to buy land in an area declared landslide-prone. We cannot pawn it in case of emergencies as it has lost its value. Banks don’t issue new loans to residents of Bhoodanam colony and Kavalappara,” he said. Jayan sustained severe injuries on his leg during rescue activities and underwent treatment for about six months.
“The government should hold a re-survey and fix a market value for the land after restoring it for cultivation. Several departments conducted studies but none of them was beneficial for farmers and residents,” said Jayan, who earned a living from rubber tapping. “Many of the rubber plantations were devastated in the landslide and my job prospects went south,” he said, adding that the menace of wild tuskers is another concern now.
According to a study conducted by the Malappuram District Disaster Management Authority, the area, consisting of over 100 acres, can only be converted for agricultural purposes. Authorities, however, are yet to decide on what type of farming will suit the terrain.
“Following the decline in rubber prices, rubber cultivation is no longer viable. Authorities are saying that the landslide was the result of local activities linked to rubber farming. Coconut, areca nut, cashew and vegetables are also cultivated in the area. Farmers have a choice once the government takes a decision. I earned about `20,000 from areca nuts planted on my 20 cents of land, which was devastated in the landslide,” said Suresh Babu, a resident.
Ward member Dileep M said 71 families have approached the High Court seeking rehabilitation following reports of the District Disaster Management Authority.
“We are hoping for a favourable verdict.”
The Malappuram deputy collector in charge of disaster management was unavailable for comment.