Kalpetta: Tense scenes unfolded during the agitation launched by the landslide survivors in the Mundakkai-Chooralmala regions of Wayanad on Sunday, with the cops blocking a section of protesters near the Bailey bridge.

The people have launched a series of protests against the Kerala government, alleging delays in rehabilitation efforts. The protests are led by two organisations: Janashabdam and the Mundakkai-Chooralmala Landslide Survivors Action Council. Meanwhile, the Action Council is set to hold a hunger strike in front of the Collectorate on Monday. 

The key demands raised by the survivors include:
- Allotment of 10 cents of land per family at Elston Estate near Kalpetta instead of the 5 cents currently offered.
- Government jobs for all 17 individuals who are the sole survivors in their families.
- Utilisation of the Chief Minister's Disaster Relief Fund (CMDRF) for survivor rehabilitation.
- Waiver of loans taken by families in the landslide-affected zones.

Naseer Alakkan, leader of the Action Council, said they were compelled to protest due to the government's inaction. “We lost everything overnight; many of us lost our entire families. The government initially promised 10 cents of land per family. Both the Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary assured this. Now, they claim only 5 cents will be provided at Elston Estate. We are demanding the full 10 cents, wherever the land is allotted,” he said.

Initially, the government identified 242 families for housing in the first phase of its township project. It planned to acquire 60.41 hectares of land from Harrisons Malayalam Plantation (HML) at Nedumpala and 78.73 hectares from Elston Estate at Pulpara, near Kalpetta bypass. However, the current plan offers 10 cents of land per family at the HML site but only 5 cents at Elston Estate.

Supporting the survivors, Wayanad DCC president N D Appachan also urged the government to address the concerns of displaced labourer families from Elston Estate. “They, too, are human beings and deserve compassionate treatment,” he added. Meanwhile, Revenue Minister K Rajan assured that the government remains open to discussions to resolve the issues faced by the survivors.