Kalpetta: The first phase of the Wayanad township project for survivors of the 2024 landslide is expected to be completed by January 2026, officials said.

After months of delay caused by heavy rains, construction has accelerated significantly. Roof concreting has been completed for 122 houses, while the immediate target is to finish 301 houses in the initial phase.

The district administration said construction is underway for 344 houses across five zones on the 64-acre Elstone Estate land. Foundation and site-preparation works have already been completed for 322 houses.

The Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society (ULCCS), the project’s lead contractor, has intensified efforts to meet the timelines, with April next year set as the overall completion target.

Arun Babu, Chief Operating Officer of the ULCCS project, told Onmanorama that work on all houses is currently in progress, with the focus on completing 301 houses by the end of January. Over 1,300 workers have been deployed in recent weeks, and the workforce is expected to increase further in the coming months. Overall, construction is currently underway on 410 houses at the site.

Infrastructure development is moving in parallel with housing works. Construction of the main access road, stretching 1,100 metres and measuring 12.65 metres in width, is underway. The total road network planned within the township extends to 11.423 km. Work has also commenced on key facilities, including a sewage treatment plant, a nine-lakh-litre water tank, and drainage systems.

The state government had acquired 64.47 hectares of land from the Elstone Estate group near Kalpetta for the township.

The project follows the devastating landslide that struck Mundakkai and Chooralmala in the early hours of July 30, 2024, claiming over 300 lives, destroying large parts of both villages and leaving hundreds of families homeless. The District Disaster Management Authority has identified 402 beneficiaries for inclusion in the township project.