Homes lost, lives shattered: Wayanad battles after landslide catastrophe
In the early hours of July 30, 2024, devastating landslides struck Chooralmala and Mundakkai villages in Wayanad district, triggered by relentless torrential rains. This disaster, the worst natural calamity in Kerala since the 2018 floods, claimed nearly 300 lives and destroyed 266 homes, with many still missing and presumed dead. Entire landscapes were buried under debris, wiping out homes, schools, and livelihoods in an instant.
Survivors are now grappling with the aftermath, many forced into makeshift shelters.
Seenath and her father, Abdul Khadar, who had recently moved into their first home, now live in constant fear. "Even though our house remains, the land no longer feels safe," Abdul Khadar told Maktoob.
The landslides did not just destroy homes; they took away futures. Vellarimala Government Vocational Higher Secondary School and Mundakkai GLP School, once filled with the laughter and dreams of young students, now stand silent.
In Mundakkai LP School, the last date written on a classroom blackboard remains untouched since the disaster, an unbearable reminder of lives cut short too soon. Many of the students from these schools lost their lives.
Rescue teams and local volunteers worked relentlessly, digging through the debris for survivors.
Many, like Nikhil, who had returned to his place to collect black pepper, lost their houses but were grateful their families survived. Others faced huge losses.
"Our family is safe, and that’s all that matters," Nikhil said, trying to stay hopeful. "But now, all I have is a small job. Our finances depend entirely on that. Life is difficult." Adjusting the sack on his back, he began climbing a tree to collect black pepper—his only source of income amid the ruins of his village.
Hamsa, a longtime resident, walked through the ruins of his village, silently acknowledging the homes and lives that had been lost. He paused at several spots, nodding toward what remained of his friends’ and neighbors’ houses. "Most of them are gone," he told Maktoob, his voice heavy with sorrow.
The destruction in Mundakkai is more than just collapsed walls; it is a landscape of mourning. Amid the wreckage, an old saree, drenched in dirt and mud, clung to a small clothesline, as if desperately holding onto the past. A shattered television lay filled with sludge, a reminder of a home that once gathered around it. Half-buried cups and blankets, now soaked and torn, painted a painful picture of what was lost.
In the wake of the tragedy, public anger has erupted into protests. The survivors alleged that the government has repeatedly broken its promises. Initially, it pledged to provide 1,023 houses for the victims, but due to strict guidelines, only 393 are now being allocated.
The United Democratic Front (UDF) has accused both the state and Union governments of neglecting Wayanad and failing to provide adequate relief. Tensions flared in Chooralmala as police blocked protesters from marching in condemnation of the alleged delay in rehabilitation efforts. The protests began with survivors constructing makeshift huts in the landslide-hit area, only to be stopped by the police. Verbal confrontations broke out as frustration grew among the displaced.
Meanwhile, the People’s Action Committee (Janakeeya Action Samiti) has launched a hunger strike in front of the Wayanad District Collectorate, demanding permanent rehabilitation measures instead of temporary relief.
Janashabdam, another collective, has joined the protests, amplifying the voices of those who lost everything. Janashabdam is to launch an indefinite strike at the Collectorate in Kalpetta on March 13. They are demanding 10 cents of land for each affected family, government jobs for 16 youngsters orphaned by the disaster, the waiver of all loans taken by the victims' families, and the swift completion of the township project.
Survivors continue to struggle as they attempt to move forward. A tender coconut seller, whose livelihood depended on daily customers, now faces financial ruin. He stood by his cart, waiting for someone to buy a coconut, his face weary from loss. "If you drink this, our children will drink anything," he said, holding out a coconut with tired hands. "This is the only way of our living." Sainaba, a tea plucker, carries on with her job despite the devastation around her because she has no choice. "We don’t have the luxury to stop," she told Maktoob, wiping sweat off her forehead as she walked away.
The government's relief efforts have been slow, with many survivors yet to receive the promised compensation. As protests continue and families struggle to rebuild, Wayanad faces a long and painful road to recovery after one of its worst natural disasters.
