WAYANAD LANDSLIDES

Complete Wayanad landslide survivors rehabilitation in one week: High Court to Kerala govt

Ernakulam: The Kerala High Court on Friday directed the state government to complete the rehabilitation of Wayanad landslide survivors to proper housing within a week. “It’s been a month since the disaster, and living in relief camps is far from ideal. If people were hesitant to leave the camps, there might be some reason behind it, which should be addressed. And don’t delay the rehabilitation,” said the court.

The bench of Justices AK Jayashankar Nambiar and VK Shyam Kumar added that the government should inform the court before starting the construction in Wayanad, part of the proposed township plan. The court has been hearing the suo moto case every Friday since the disaster.

“The people affected by the disaster have been enduring great hardship. They should be relocated to either their relatives' homes or rented accommodations,” the court said, requesting details on the number of individuals still residing in the relief camps. The bench also instructed the official responsible for compiling these details to attend the next hearing via video conferencing.

The court inquired whether the rehabilitation of children who had been orphaned was completed and if the compensation had been disbursed to all beneficiaries. It also requested details on individuals who had received medical treatment for injuries and the educational expenses of survivor students.

“There should be more redressal cells where the survivors could address their grievances. This can be done with the help of the district legal services authority. Whatever the survivors want to tell should be recorded. The government should also consider paying the bills of those receiving treatments currently, considering the possibility of cashless transactions,” the court said. The court also asked about the government’s plan for the township, considering the Gadgil and Kasturirangan reports.