Wayanad township project to be completed by December, says T Siddique

Kalpetta: The state government will ensure that all houses being constructed under the Wayanad Township project for survivors of the Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslide are completed by the end of October, Agriculture Minister T. Siddique said on Thursday.

The minister was responding to reporters' queries regarding grievances raised by beneficiaries of the second phase of the rehabilitation project during a gathering held at the township site here in the morning.

The beneficiaries expressed concern over the delay in completing the project and said they had not yet been given a clear timeline for shifting to their new homes. Many of them are currently living in rented accommodation under difficult circumstances and want to move into the township as soon as possible, they said.

The survivors also carried placards demanding that the construction work be expedited and that financial assistance being provided to affected families be extended until they are able to move into their new homes.

Responding to their concerns, Siddique said 178 houses in the first phase had already been handed over, and 177 families had started living in them. One house remains unoccupied because of a dispute over its claim, he said. Referring to the progress of the second phase, the minister said around 110 more houses were expected to be completed by the end of September, while construction of all the houses would be completed by the end of October.

“We are evaluating the progress of the project every week, and a work schedule has been prepared for each week,” Siddique said.

He said incessant rain had affected some of the finishing and painting work and had also slowed the laying of roads. However, all the major infrastructure and amenities, including the roads, would be completed by December, he said.

The Wayanad Model Township project envisages 410 houses, with around 1,662 people expected to be rehabilitated there. The government acquired 64.47 hectares of land at Elstone Estate near Kalpetta for the project.

The first phase comprising 178 houses was inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on March 1, when the keys and title deeds were handed over to the beneficiaries. But the families were shifted only by June as the construction works were incomplete.

The township is being developed with facilities including internal roads, a health centre, anganwadi, public market, community centres, playgrounds and other public amenities. The project was conceived as a comprehensive rehabilitation settlement rather than merely a housing project.

The township project is part of the long-term rehabilitation programme launched following the catastrophic Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslide of July 30, 2024. The disaster claimed 298 lives, including 32 people who were subsequently declared dead after being listed as missing, according to official figures. More than 630 people were rescued during the disaster and its immediate aftermath.

The township is being constructed with the aim of bringing the affected families together in a safe, planned settlement after the destruction of their homes and livelihoods in the landslide.