Kochi: Nearly two months after a tense eviction standoff that threatened to displace seven Dalit families from Pariyathukavu settlement in Malayidom Thuruthu at Ernakulam's Kizhakambalam, the rehabilitation process has reached a major milestone, bringing much-awaited relief to the residents.

The Ernakulam District Collectorate is set to hand over the official survey sketches and demarcated layout plans for the rehabilitation land to the seven families on Saturday evening, marking the first concrete step towards the construction of their new homes.

For the residents, the handover signifies the transition from months of uncertainty and legal battles to a structured rehabilitation process backed by the government.

The development follows the landmark compromise brokered by Higher Education Minister Roji M John, District Collector G Priyanka and Kunnathunad MLA VP Sajeendran after repeated eviction attempts triggered widespread protests and heavy police deployment in May.

Speaking to Onmanorama, resident Saji said the families had been asked to gather at the Collectorate to receive the survey sketches.

“The land survey is complete. Today, they are handing over the layout plan at the Collectorate. Each family will get 5 cents. They also said they will announce the date for laying the foundation stone,” Saji said.

Saji added that receiving the survey plan was a crucial step as it formally demarcates the land allotted to each family.

“There will be the sketch and plan of the measured plot,” he said, clarifying that the document relates to the surveyed land and not the design of the houses.

“After the sketch and plan are done, there are many trees inside the plot that have to be cut. Once the sketch is handed over, they will also tell us when the foundation stone will be laid,” he added.

The survey sketches have been prepared by the government’s Taluk Surveyor and Tehsildar under the supervision of the Muvattupuzha Revenue Divisional Officer. The plans demarcate 35 cents of land earmarked for rehabilitation along with an L-shaped access road, taking the total rehabilitated area to around 40 cents.

Under the compromise agreement, the private landowners agreed to assign five cents of land each to the seven families immediately behind their existing disputed homes. The settlement also provides for the reconstruction of the community's worship place at government expense. However, the ancestral burial grounds and the serpent deity (Sarppakavu) will remain with the landowners.

“It is stated in the agreement that the government will bear the expenses. If we continue disputing, nothing will move forward. For us, our family temple and our homes are what matter. We have been given land with all basic amenities, including electricity, water, streetlights and a tiled public road,” Saji added.

For the families, the latest development has also brought immense psychological relief after months of living under the constant fear of eviction.

Recalling the tense days before the compromise, Mini, another resident, said the settlement had been engulfed in anxiety.

Children have gone back to school, adults have resumed work, and the residents are hopeful they could soon move into legally secure homes just a few metres away from the land they have called home for generations.

“The earlier situation was total chaos and uncertainty. It was a terrifying atmosphere. All that has become calm now. There was constant anxiety about whether we would be evicted, whether our houses would be demolished and where we would go. All of that is gone,” she said.

The original agreement had envisaged completion of the 1,000-square-foot houses within a year. However, the rehabilitation process is now expected to move faster.

Contractors have already inspected the newly allotted land to assess the terrain and ensure there are no waterlogging issues before construction begins.

Following a meeting with Minister Roji M John on Saturday morning, residents said they were assured that the work would be expedited.

“He said there is no problem and the work can be sped up. We were initially promised that everything would be completed within one year, but now we have been told that the houses could even be ready within six months. The minister assured us that it is moving fast,” he added.

The seven families had earlier faced 15 consecutive execution orders from the Munsiff Court following a Supreme Court verdict in favour of the private landowners. The dispute had escalated into a major political issue, with residents staging prolonged protests and even threatening self-immolation to prevent eviction.