Wayanad: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced that the survivors of the Wayanad landslide will receive new houses by January 2026, as the construction of the township is progressing rapidly. He was addressing the assembly here on Tuesday.

According to him, the District Disaster Management Authority has already prepared and published a list of 402 beneficiaries as part of rehabilitation in three phases. Of this, 104 people, who opted to live outside the township under construction, have received ₹15 lakh each.

A total of 295 beneficiaries have given consent letters to move into new houses in the township, Vijayan said, adding that 49 more have been added to the rehabilitation list based on appeal applications after necessary scrutiny.

"The township project is progressing fast on the 64.475 hectares of land in Elston estate taken over by the government. We are intended to hand over the houses by January 2026," he said.

Speaking during the question hour, the CM said a district coordination committee with the Collector as chairperson and the Chief Operating Officer as township project convenor has been formed to coordinate various initiatives of the initiative.

When asked by the opposition about allegations that the Chief Minister's Disaster Relief Funds have not been used for Wayanad rehabilitation, the CM said he was unaware of such claims.

A total of 266 people were killed, and 32 went missing in the landslides that struck Wayanad’s Mundakkai and Chooralmala areas on July 30, 2024. A total of 630 people were rescued from the mud.

The township is being built on government-acquired land and will feature single-storey houses of 1,000 sq ft on seven-cent plots, with provisions for future expansion into two-storey homes. The township will also include essential amenities such as a health centre, anganwadi, market and community centre.